Cork buses based at Capwell on the move to Tivoli site

Cork city buses based at the Capwell station near Turner’s Cross will now be moving across the river to a new location on the dockside, while Capwell gets e-charging infrastructure.

The temporary bus depot will allow buses to move out of the depot at Capwell, so that works can take place to allow electric buses to be charged there.

The Capwell was already over-capacity, so electrification works could not take place while the depot remained in use, necessitating the temporary facility.

The temporary depot, on the former Tata Steel facility within the Port of Cork’s Tivoli Industrial Estate, was originally set to be up and running in the first half of 2025, but the date was pushed out three times, and a preliminary estimated cost of €10.7m rose to €17m.

A Bus Éireann spokesperson said: “The depot at Tivoli is now operational, with live operations commencing from the start of August.

“The project to install EV charging infrastructure at Capwell is progressing as planned, as this creates space to deliver those works. The first stage of this project will be the construction of a new electrical substation on the site at Capwell.”

Timelines were not specified, but the NTA previously said that the first phase of charging infrastructure at Capwell depot will not become available until 2028.

Planning conditions imposed by Cork City Council “require that operations shall cease and that the site shall be fully reinstated before 31 December 2030”, to enable council plans for future housing development there.

Because of this, the NTA said recently they plan to submit planning applications for two permanent bus depots at Kinsale Rd and Little Island this year and next.

Information provided to TDs recently said the lease agreement signed with Port of Cork provides for an extension of planning permission beyond the end of 2030, should such permission be granted.

When asked if it was planning to seek an extension, Bus Éireann said it “is not in a position to comment on planning applications for Tivoli depot at this time”.