CSO Report: 68% of Irish Homes Have Good Public Transport Access, but Regional Gaps Remain

Dublin: Almost 68 per cent of homes in Ireland are located in areas with good access to public transport, according to new figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The report reveals that eight out of every 10 households have a bus stop within two kilometres, while seven out of 10 have access to a high-frequency bus service nearby. Dublin records the strongest access to rail services, while Donegal has some of the greatest distances between households and railway stations.

The study is based on data from the 2022 Census and examines how far households are located from essential services, including public transport facilities and petrol stations.

Railway stations are less accessible

The CSO findings show that households generally have to travel considerably further to reach a railway station than a bus stop.

Half of all households in Ireland are within 5.5 kilometres of a railway station. However, around one-quarter are located more than 15 kilometres from the nearest station.

The differences are particularly pronounced between regions. Border counties generally have poorer access to public transport, while Dublin residents benefit from the country’s strongest transport connections.

Dublin leads in public transport access

Dublin has the shortest average distances to high-frequency bus and rail services.

Households in the capital are, on average, just one-third of a kilometre from a high-frequency bus service. In contrast, the average distance in County Roscommon exceeds seven kilometres.

The average distance to a high-frequency rail service is approximately 2.5 kilometres in Dublin, compared with the national average of six kilometres.

Donegal faces the greatest railway access challenges

Donegal records the longest average distances to railway stations, highlighting the significant transport challenges faced by residents in the county.

Half of households in Donegal are more than 111.1 kilometres from the nearest railway station. County Monaghan ranks second, with the corresponding distance averaging 42.8 kilometres.

The report also indicates that one in four households in Donegal must travel more than 136.5 kilometres to reach a railway station. The lack of railway infrastructure is a major factor behind these distances.

Petrol stations an average of 1.4 kilometres away

The CSO also examined household access to petrol stations. Half of all households in the country are located more than 1.4 kilometres from the nearest petrol station.

Residents of County Leitrim face the longest average journeys to access fuel, according to the report.

However, these patterns could change in the coming years as electric vehicles become more common and home-charging facilities become increasingly widespread. Greater access to domestic charging could gradually reduce the importance of proximity to traditional petrol stations.

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