 | Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway: Encyclopedia II - Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway - Transfer to road operations
Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway - Transfer to road operations
Starting in 1929, the company began to acquire bus assets throughout Donegal. Further expansion followed rapidly. It entered profitability in the early 1930s off the back of these ventures. Acquisition of freight operations followed, and this led to a reduction of rail services, and eventual closure of lines. The Carndonagh branch was closed circa 1935, with the Burtonport line closing entirely in 1940, with a section temporarily re-opening in 1941 to Gweedore, closing finally in 1947. The Buncrana section of the line lost its passanger service in 1948, with its freight service, and the remaining Letterkenny services all closing on August 8, 1953.
Following this entire cessation of rail services, the company moved solely to road transport. Second had vehicles were purchased from a number of operators including Ulsterbus, and vehicles were obtained on loan from CIE. However, it failed to be profitable throughout the 1970s, and was purchased from bankrupcy by Patrick Doherty, a Buncrana businessman, in 1981.
The company has continued to exist to this day, operating passanger bus services, freight services, and holiday tour services; as well as providing the school bus services for many schools in Donegal. However, problems still exist for the company, with an attempt to withdraw bus services from Donegal in June 2003 met with resistance, and it is believed that the services are now being subsidised by the Irish Government, as they are seen as crucial to the often eldery and rural population they serve in Donegal.
The company has a small depot, as well as its registered offices, in Derry City, and a far larger depot as well as dump for out-of-service buses, in Letterkenny. The majority of their bus fleet, with the exception of those used for holiday touring, is in excess of 20 years old.
Other related archives1852, 1853, 1863, 1864, 1866, 1885, 1901, 1903, 1929, 1930s, 1940, 1941, 1947, 1948, 1953, 1970s, 1981, August 8, Ballyliffin, British Government, Buncrana, Burnfoot, Burtonport, CIE, Carndonagh, Clonmany, Closed railways in Ireland, Closed railways in Northern Ireland, Creeslough, December 31, Derry, Derry City, Donegal, Dunfanaghy, Dungloe, Galliagh, Gweedore, Inishowen, Irish, Irish Government, June, June 2003, Letterkenny, Lough Foyle, Lough Swilly, New Mills, Newtowncunningham, Pluck, Sallybrook, Transportation companies of Ireland, Ulsterbus, bus, canal, circa, freight, public transport
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Transfer to road operations", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
