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Bus Éireann New Improved Timetable Waterford-Carlow-Dublin-Airport

2

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    Why are buses which are now going practically non-stop to carlow taking longer than they did previously when they stopped in Naas, Kilcullen and Castledermot? The journey to carlow can be done safely in about 75 minutes but there was still 5 minutes added to the timetable to allow 95 minutes to Carlow when it was changed.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,309 ✭✭✭dowlingm


    lxflyer - what the NTA should have told IE as a condition of closing South Wexford is to reposition the Rosslare 2700 within the Waterford network, for example to form a Clonmel-Waterford commuter morning/evening service and improving frequency in the Waterford-Carlow(-Kildare) corridor in between, starting with a 9am northbound. Nobody's saying the bus couldn't terminate at WIT etc but the stop at the train station retained and onward services provided.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    The latest press release from Bus Eireann claims they are reducing the journey times between Waterford and the Airport by 30 minutes! What absolute nonsense!

    http://www.buseireann.ie/news.php?id=1098&month=Jun

    New timetable

    Old Timetable
    Bus Éireann is pleased to announce an enhanced Route 4 Expressway service operating via the M9 motorway resulting in quicker journey times to and from Waterford, Dublin city, and Dublin Airport. Times are quicker on the timetable only! they will not be quicker on the road! Buses leaving Waterford are currently up to 15 minutes late getting to Carlow and now the numpties have reduced that journey time by a further 10 minutes!

    The enhanced Expressway Route 4 Waterford-Dublin-Dublin Airport service will provide the fastest coach service from Waterford city to Dublin Airport with a journey time of just 3 hours. The improved service, which begins on Sunday, 17 June, will reduce journey times by up to 30 minutes for customers travelling from Waterford to Dublin and Dublin Airport. They neglect to say these three buses go via Kilkenny and cut out all stops between Carlow and Waterford to achieve the time saving but leaving all passengers between carlow and Waterford with No way of getting to the Airport using Bus Eireann! This is just a way of rolling back on the last timetable change as Bus Eireann are finding numbers on the overnight services are very low!

    Expressway Route 4 will operate six times a day (Monday to Sunday) from Waterford and 9 times a day from Dublin Airport/Dublin city (Monday to Sunday). It only operates 8 times a day from Dublin airport Monday-Sunday, the 9am bus does not operate at weekends nor does the 5am X4 from Waterford!

    Bus Éireann is also introducing a new limited stop service, X4, which provides a journey time of just 2 hours 50 minutes between Waterford and Dublin Airport. The X4, which also begins on Sunday, 17 June, uses the M9 motorway and operates direct from Waterford to Kilkenny city, direct from Kilkenny city to Carlow, and direct from Carlow to Newslands Cross and from there direct to Dublin Airport.Only the 2.30am service operates direct from Newlands Cross to the Airport! all other services go via Heuston Station the City Centre and Busáras

    An early morning service in Waterford at 02:30 arriving in Dublin Airport at 05:00 for customers catching early flights will also operate from Sunday, 17 June. This is already included in the three X4 services, Claiming it is Extra is wrong.

    Expressway Route X4 will operate three times a day from Waterford one way (Monday to Sunday) to Kilkenny city, direct from Kilkenny city to Carlow, and direct from Carlow to Newslands Cross and from there direct to Dublin Airport. More mis-infiormation and lies, It only operates twice a day Monday-Sunday

    These improved services will provide customers with increased connections between Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Dublin city and Dublin Airport. All services to and from Waterford (Monday to Sunday) will now operate via the M9. While cutting off passengers from all the stops between Carlow and Waterford! Also the claim that all services to and from waterford will operate via the M9 is rubbish as they already use the M9 as far as Carlow and ONLY the X4 services will be using the M9 between Carlow and Kilkenny and on to Waterford!

    “These new enhanced services are being introduced in response to customer feedback for shorter journey times travelling from Waterford to Dublin and Dublin Airport. The revised Route 4 Expressway service will not only deliver a better travelling experience for our regular passengers, but for the people of Waterford as it provides them with convenient, quick and affordable access to Dublin city and Dublin Airport,” said Gerry Madden, Services Manager, South East, Bus Éireann. People want a shorter time from Waterford and Carlow to Dublin during the day, instead of spending several minutes and dangerous maneuvers trying to get into the narrow roads in the Red Cow Luas park and ride stop!

    The changes to the Expressway Route 4 have been sanctioned by the National Transport Authority (NTA).

    For further details, please visit www.buseireann.ie or contact your local Bus Éireann travel centre on (051) 879000.

    Friday, 15th June, 2012


  • Registered Users Posts: 280 ✭✭coolperson05


    Also, wouldn't daytime X4 services provide (for the first time) PROPER commuter links between Waterford Carlow and Kilkenny for the hundreds of students in Waterford & Carlow and workers in Kilkenny?! That would have made lots of sense...
    (Considering the first train into Waterford arrives at 9.45 - an hour after normal commute arrival times)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    Also, wouldn't daytime X4 services provide (for the first time) PROPER commuter links between Waterford Carlow and Kilkenny for the hundreds of students in Waterford & Carlow and workers in Kilkenny?! That would have made lots of sense...
    (Considering the first train into Waterford arrives at 9.45 - an hour after normal commute arrival times)
    There is no Bus from Waterford or Carlow that gets into Dublin before 9am, there should be a 6am service serving all stops except kilkenny which is already served by the 7.

    There is also no bus that gets to Waterford before 10am!

    Back to the timings on the new timetable it appears that like the X20 Galway limited stop service which is usually about 30 minutes late this new timetable will be impossible to keep to on the road!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 280 ✭✭coolperson05


    I know! I have to get the 6am train because CIE and the Government have decided all the jobs are in Dublin too!! It is ridiculous that there's no service south before 9am for Waterford City (pop. 46,732), Kilkenny City and County (pop. 95,419) and Carlow (pop. 54,612).


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    I know! I have to get the 6am train because CIE and the Government have decided all the jobs are in Dublin too!! It is ridiculous that there's no service south before 9am for Waterford City (pop. 46,732), Kilkenny City and County (pop. 95,419) and Carlow (pop. 54,612).
    If people boycotted their services they would soon realise the value of their Sunny Southeast passengers


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,928 ✭✭✭✭end of the road


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    If people boycotted their services they would soon realise the value of their Sunny Southeast passengers

    no they wouldn't, they want rid of us altogether. they hate waterford carlow, and especially wexford in IE's case, BE provide a good level of service or at least they did, just a shame theirs no non-stop service, or maybe a private operator is doing one but i haven't heard so i don't know.

    shut down alcohol action ireland now! end MUP today!



  • Registered Users Posts: 28,928 ✭✭✭✭end of the road


    dowlingm wrote: »
    lxflyer - what the NTA should have told IE as a condition of closing South Wexford is to reposition the Rosslare 2700 within the Waterford network, for example to form a Clonmel-Waterford commuter morning/evening service and improving frequency in the Waterford-Carlow(-Kildare) corridor in between, starting with a 9am northbound.
    that would make sense but as IE want to close the limerick junction waterford line and as they don't want the custom from areas along it they would find a way not to do such a thing and the NTA would bend over forwards (sorry bend over backwards) to accommodate them. maybe if they had provided some sort of meaningful and useable service on the rosslare waterford line and told people about it maybe just maybe the usership would have gone up. but i suppose they had to find a way to provide the money for the 1 passenger on the WRC and as they hate county wexford so much it was obvious that rosslare waterford would be the first line to go. theirs also the alan kelly bullit train to pay for now as well.

    shut down alcohol action ireland now! end MUP today!



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    I suppose I may be a bit harsh on Bus Eireann but I just can't understand how they are going to cut 10 minutes off the Waterford to Carlow stretch when that section usually takes longer than the time already allowed. they could easily take that time and more from the Dublin to Carlow section and remove that pointless and dangerous stop at the luas park and ride, it adds nothing only a fear of accidents and time wasted to the journey.

    There are also a few spots in the timetable that need some tweaking like having a three hour gap ex Waterford between 3pm and 6pm so there is NO peak time service to cater for anyone working in Carlow for the day.

    The timetable could have been done better by a few of the drivers on the route who know what their passengers want and when buses are required but afaik they were not even consulted about the original new timetable and this latest revision/damage limitation exercise.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 28,928 ✭✭✭✭end of the road


    Jamie2k9 wrote: »
    almost all trains serve Nass/Newbridge
    why? these stations could be served perfectly by commuter services no need for long distance services to stop there. killdare i would agree, run commuters to killdare stop the long distance services there and let the commuter trains provide connections to the stations between there and dublin. all though i suppose as the KRP doesn't go as far as killdare or probably newbridge and naaz it would probably make sense to stop trains there?

    shut down alcohol action ireland now! end MUP today!



  • Registered Users Posts: 280 ✭✭coolperson05


    Well I'm getting it Tues so it'll be interesting to see how they'll do Waterford to Carlow in 70mins...when the express service on the motorway takes the same time apparently. :rolleyes:


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,928 ✭✭✭✭end of the road


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    The timetable could have been done better by a few of the drivers on the route who know what their passengers want and when buses are required but afaik they were not even consulted about the original new timetable and this latest revision/damage limitation exercise.

    consulting the drivers would mean the people who do the timetables would be seen to not have a clue which they don't, it would also make sense because the drivers who actually work on the ground unlike those doing the timetables would know how many are getting on their busses so therefore its not going to happen.

    shut down alcohol action ireland now! end MUP today!



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    why? these stations could be served perfectly by commuter services no need for long distance services to stop there. killdare i would agree, run commuters to killdare stop the long distance services there and let the commuter trains provide connections to the stations between there and dublin. all though i suppose as the KRP doesn't go as far as killdare or probably newbridge and naaz it would probably make sense to stop trains there?
    The commuter service only goes to Kildare on a few trains daily due to not having any siding or separate platform to keep it while the other long distance trains stop in Kildare, that means that most trains also stop at Newbridge or will stop at Newbridge instead of Kildare, The system as it is does work ok for passengers going to the commuter stations as they never have too long to wait for a commuter train once they stop at Kildare or Newbridge.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    consulting the drivers would mean the people who do the timetables would be seen to not have a clue which they don't, it would also make sense because the drivers who actually work on the ground unlike those doing the timetables would know how many are getting on their busses so therefore its not going to happen.
    I was told by someone in BE that the latest timetables were being produced by some outside company who are using some computer program and feeding all the ticketing and other passenger data into it and it shlts spits out a timetable.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    I was told by someone in BE that the latest timetables were being produced by some outside company who are using some computer program and feeding all the ticketing and other passenger data into it and it shlts spits out a timetable.

    Probably the same crowd who brought a whoopee doopee programme called Q-Data to Dublin Bus,which,in turn,led to Network Direct Phase 1...now acknowledged worldwide as THE most succcessfuly succesful Phase thing ever to come from the successful Phase shop......:(


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    AlekSmart wrote: »
    Probably the same crowd who brought a whoopee doopee programme called Q-Data to Dublin Bus,which,in turn,led to Network Direct Phase 1...now acknowledged worldwide as THE most succcessfuly succesful Phase thing ever to come from the successful Phase shop......:(
    ah but these things have a habit of working very well for one situation but not working at all for other similar situations, Bus Eireann operations and passengers are very different to Dublin Bus and passengers have very different needs and expectations.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 89 ✭✭Dublin Spotter


    foggy_lad

    Barry Kenny was on da radio in Waterford today saying what a great service Carlow and Waterford passengers have. A journey time of two hours, gone from 4 to 8 daily services in a few years, reduced tickets and Wifi coming this year. Think he forgot about the lack of Sunday serviecs as there is mainly only standing room only from Kilkenny onwords and only 4 services. I highly dought you will agree as I am not a regular user and I don't agree at all...

    He makes it sound like a wonderdul line and all trains take 2 hours. There is a like over on RUI website.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    What feckin planet is he on with his two hours from Waterford to Dublin? Maybe possible on the motorway bit not by train, not even with a good strong southeasterly behind it


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,928 ✭✭✭✭end of the road


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    What feckin planet is he on with his two hours from Waterford to Dublin? Maybe possible on the motorway bit not by train, not even with a good strong southeasterly behind it
    don't worry, nobody believes his spin and lies anyway. what worries me is that he seems to actually believe what he is saying is true.

    shut down alcohol action ireland now! end MUP today!



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  • Registered Users Posts: 7,797 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    AlekSmart wrote: »
    Probably the same crowd who brought a whoopee doopee programme called Q-Data to Dublin Bus,which,in turn,led to Network Direct Phase 1...now acknowledged worldwide as THE most succcessfuly succesful Phase thing ever to come from the successful Phase shop......:(
    no chance its the same system.

    Bus Eireann, Dublin Bus and Irish Rail do everything in triplicate as cooperating with each other and saving the taxpayer money and providing the public with a seamless service across the 3 modes might be considered as acting like a Cartel or some other such anti competitive practice.

    I'd wager that Bus Eireann is using the Deutsche Bahn Hafas system to generate the timetables that its already uses as its journey planner.

    Just to illustrate whats possible, heres the handy version for generating pdf versions of German / European rail timetables, including some Irish services BTW.
    Its very useful when you want a printout to have in your pocket for a specific journey .
    http://persoenlicherfahrplan.bahn.de/bin/pf/query-p2w.exe/en


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,565 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    There is nothing wrong with Hafas, it's a system that is used Europe wide but some people implement it rather better than others.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    It's 4.25pm and the 4.10pm service from Carlow has just arrived! Looks like I was right about the times not being possible to attain under normal conditions.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,309 ✭✭✭dowlingm


    The same fella who wrote the Limerick-Nenagh-Dublin direct rail schedule? :rolleyes:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    Busáras to red cow luas stop in ten minutes with a stop at Heuston station is what is expected of the new super-human drivers of the new 004 timetable. Seriously who made this up and can I have a tiny bit of whatever they are smoking? It is not even possible to get to heuston station from Busáras in ten minutes!


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,465 ✭✭✭highlydebased


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    Busáras to red cow luas stop in ten minutes with a stop at Houston is what is expected of the new super-human drivers of the new 004 timetable. Seriously who made this up and ban I have a tiny bit of whatever they are smoking? It is not even possible to get to heuston station from Busáras in ten minutes!

    Houston? They must have bought the Concorde, Texas is awful far away! :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    Houston? They must have bought the Concorde, Texas is awful far away! :D
    Predictive text error fixed:D


  • Registered Users Posts: 280 ✭✭coolperson05


    Well you know BE's new ads "Fly Expressway" - The buses must sprout wings for the new timetable! :p


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    The frequency on their overnight buses is better than their evening buses! Now there is no bus between 7.30pm and 10.30pm but there is another at 11.45pm, Waterford has departures every two hours at 2.30am and 5am but nothing between 3pm and 6pm and the last bus out of Dodge is 7.30pm please turn out the lights before the bus departs! even the drivers don't understand the "logic" behind the timetables.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,037 ✭✭✭Vic_08


    Well you know BE's new ads "Fly Expressway" - The buses must sprout wings for the new timetable! :p

    You'd be well advised not to believe foggylad's "facts". He spent the last year moaning about the timetable having too much time, now it has been cut he is complaining there is not enough.

    Take it from someone who has actually driven the route, the current timing is better. 2.30 Waterford to Dublin by that route is about right for daytime, 2.15-2.20 late night.


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