Photo of the Week - Week 4:

Conyngham Road's EV52 is seen at the Rathcoole terminus of Route 69X on the 21st April 2011.

The 69X was one of the first CitySpeed routes being introduced in early 1990 along with Route 32X. The first CitySpeed routes were introduced a few months previously, namely the 7X, 39X and 50X. The concept was that these routes would offer a much quicker route into the city from these far out suburbs. The concept would morph into the Xpresso network in 1999, with far more routes, many of which have come and gone. And yet the 69X continues along, helped no doubt due to the distance of Rathcoole from the city. It is also an unusual Xpresso (or CitySpeed) as it was that it has always shared termini with the normal Route 69, whereas other Xpresso routes (with the exception of the 7X) have offered extended cross city options.

EV52 is seen departing Rathcoole on its inward Route 69 journey on the 21st April 2011.

The terminus of Route 69 is at the estate of Rathlawns in Rathcoole. Coming from Saggart, the buses travel down the Main Street, turning left onto Johnstown Road, travelling up this road until the Holy Family Community School opposite Rathlawns housing estate. There it performs a u-turn on the road, using the wide entrance to the school and the housing estate to make the turn. The embedded map shows the exact location, though on the day of Google Maps acquisition, roadworks seem to make the turning circle all the more difficult.