Bus Éireann is pulling the plug on three of its Expressway services from May 24, leaving thousands of passengers in rural Ireland without vital connections.

The routes being axed are the Waterford to Dublin/Dublin Airport service (Route 4), the Rosslare/Wexford to Waterford segment (Route 40), and the Ballina to Galway service (Route 52).

The bus operator blamed ‘significant financial losses’ for the decision, saying Expressway is a commercial service that receives no State funding and the losses are ‘clearly unsustainable.’

‘Key’ route cut

The Route 4 service between Waterford and Dublin is the most significant cut.

Bus Éireann previously described it as the ‘key’ to the south-east, with 12 daily services also passing through parts of Carlow and Kilkenny.

The Ballina to Galway Route 52, which also serves Foxford, Castlebar, Claremorris and Tuam, runs six departures daily in each direction.

Carlow-Kilkenny TD Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere told the Irish Examiner that the move was ‘deeply concerning,’ saying the routes are ‘a vital link for workers, students and families who rely on affordable, reliable public transport every day.’

Bus Éireann have said that any customer with a pre-booked journey on the affected services will be contacted and offered a full refund.