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Park2Travel has introduced a real-time passenger information system and five new shuttle buses for its Dublin Airport transfer service as part of an investment of more than €2 million.
The airport parking operator, run by APCOA, has rolled out the changes at its Dublin site, where more than 25,000 passengers a week use the transfer service from a car park with more than 6,000 spaces.
The investment combines new vehicle technology from Journeo with a replacement shuttle fleet built on Volvo B8RLE chassis and fitted with MCV Evora bodywork. The aim is to cut boarding times and make journeys between the car park and the airport easier for passengers carrying luggage, travelling with buggies or needing extra assistance.
At bus stops within the car park and at Terminal 1, passengers can scan QR codes to check when the next shuttle is due. On board, digital displays and automated audio announcements provide arrival updates for the terminal and car park, while stop announcements identify zones before passengers disembark.
The system is intended to support the operator's 12-minute service frequency during busy periods. The buses run around the clock as part of the airport parking operation.
Fleet changes
The five new buses use a dual-door layout rather than the single-door configuration common on many airport shuttles. Each vehicle has a wide middle doorway as well as front access, with luggage racks positioned to reduce obstruction during boarding and exit.
The design reflects a practical issue in airport ground transport, where dwell times can rise quickly when passengers board with cases, pushchairs or mobility needs. Wider access and separated passenger flow can reduce queues at stops and improve turnaround times on short but busy transfer routes.
Customer feedback since the facility opened informed the investment decision, with requests for clearer information and smoother boarding helping to shape the upgrade.
Neil Cunningham, Managing Director of APCOA Ireland, outlined the rationale behind the changes.
"When we launched Park2Travel, our mission was to bring much-needed capacity, efficiency, and competitive pricing to Dublin Airport travellers. As we continue to grow, our focus is firmly on listening to our customers, embracing smart transit technology, and reducing travel-related stress or anxiety. By introducing cutting-edge real-time tracking alongside these new buses, we are enabling passengers to track their journey and travel with greater confidence. Because specialised airport buses cannot simply be purchased out of a showroom, we have taken the time to shop with our customers' feedback at the forefront and source a custom-designed fleet that directly addresses passenger needs. Combined with live QR tracking and automated on-board countdowns, this investment ensures that our passenger journey is as smooth, modern, and digitally connected as possible," he said.
Airport transport
The project highlights the increasing use of passenger information systems in airport ground transport, where operators are under pressure to manage heavy footfall, short connection windows and accessibility demands. Real-time data systems have become more common on bus and rail networks and are also spreading into private airport parking and transfer services as operators try to reduce uncertainty for travellers.
Journeo supplies telematics and passenger information systems used at several large UK airports, including Heathrow, Stansted and Bristol. At Park2Travel, the system gives passengers visibility over shuttle arrival times before boarding and updates during the journey.
For APCOA, the move also reflects a broader shift in parking operations towards digital services layered on top of physical infrastructure. Operators are increasingly adding booking tools, electric vehicle charging, traffic monitoring and live transport information to sites once limited to storage and transfer functions.
Dublin Airport remains a high-volume market for such services, with parking access and onward transfers often shaping the start and end of a passenger's trip. In that context, transfer reliability can matter as much as the availability of parking spaces, particularly during peak holiday periods and early morning departures.
According to the operator, the Park2Travel site is about six minutes from the airport. It offers dedicated parking capacity, on-site assistance and a 24-hour shuttle service linking the facility with Terminal 1.
The new buses also have low-entry flat floors intended to improve access for passengers with reduced mobility. Park2Travel said the combination of low-floor boarding and the two-door arrangement should make loading and unloading faster and safer on heavily used trips between the car park and the terminal.
APCOA employs about 5,000 people and manages more than 1.8 million parking spaces across 13,000 locations in 12 European countries. In Ireland, the Dublin Airport transfer upgrade adds a more visible transport element to a business more commonly associated with parking management than bus operations.
The service now runs with five 261-registered MCV Evora-bodied Volvo B8RLE buses equipped with the Journeo tracking and passenger information system.