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Rail Statistics

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  • 06-03-2014 7:44pm
    #1
    bonerjams03
    Registered Users Posts: 393 ✭✭


    Hi, sorry if this is not relevant here but I am having a hard time finding detailed statistics about rail travel in Ireland.

    I just need a breakdown of passenger numbers, by routes - specifically the WRC.

    This is the best I have found
    http://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Rail-Statistical-Bulletin.pdf

    But there are dozens of news articles citing passenger numbers for the WRC with no reference to where they come from. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

    Thanks


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    #2
    flyingsnail
    Registered Users Posts: 2,752 ✭✭✭flyingsnail


    try this
    Heavy Rail Census

    http://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Heavy-Rail-Census-2012.pdf


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    #3
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,410 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    Looking at those figures, there are 126 Dart trains per weekday and approx 60,000 journeys. That would be an average of 476 per train. Each coach averages 100 passengers (no of seats) so trains should average 4 coaches. Now a lot of passengers travel only half or less of the full run, but it does show 2 coaches is just not enough.


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    #4
    davidlacey
    Registered Users Posts: 416 ✭✭davidlacey


    but they also come in eight car formations so it averages itself out! if the average is four, two at offpeak, four when schools are out etc... and eight at peak


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    #5
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,410 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    From my observations, IR do not appear to differentiationate between six and eight car formations. So a peak train may be 6 or 8 cars.

    It would have made more sense if IR had reduced off-peak trains to 4 cars and see how that went instead of going from 8 to 2 cars. The problem with 2 cars is that a relatively few extra passengers will overload them, causing passenger distress.

    If they cannot reconfigure trains on the fly (I cannot understand why this is a problem, they manage it in the UK all the time) then the solution is to schedule extra trains, perhaps on shorter runs, say to DL instead of Bray. To run 8 coach trains all day Saturday just because of an anticipated demand from a match at the Aviva is a waste.

    A shuttle from Howth to Howth Junction would allow significantly better frequency to both Malahide and Howth.

    Perhaps they could ask the passengers what they thought should be done. Sorry, that is against Government policy.


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    #6
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,558 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    Sam Russell wrote: »
    From my observations, IR do not appear to differentiationate between six and eight car formations. So a peak train may be 6 or 8 cars.

    It would have made more sense if IR had reduced off-peak trains to 4 cars and see how that went instead of going from 8 to 2 cars. The problem with 2 cars is that a relatively few extra passengers will overload them, causing passenger distress.

    If they cannot reconfigure trains on the fly (I cannot understand why this is a problem, they manage it in the UK all the time) then the solution is to schedule extra trains, perhaps on shorter runs, say to DL instead of Bray. To run 8 coach trains all day Saturday just because of an anticipated demand from a match at the Aviva is a waste.

    A shuttle from Howth to Howth Junction would allow significantly better frequency to both Malahide and Howth.

    Perhaps they could ask the passengers what they thought should be done. Sorry, that is against Government policy.



    I've already explained to you why they leave the longer sets out at weekends when events are on:


    1) It is rare that these events all start/finish at the same time on a weekend - they all tend to start/finish at different times. Hence you would have to spend considerable time drawing up new driver and set rosters for every single time there was an event on to swap sets out, which frankly would take far too much time and effort.


    2) You would have to have additional drivers on duty on Saturdays to swap the sets to/from the depot at Fairview and shunt at Bray.


    3) People tend to travel across the day to particular events - it's far more difficult to predict exactly when everyone will travel


    There are times that what might not seem logical is actually a better option.


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    #7
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,410 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    lxflyer wrote: »
    I've already explained to you why they leave the longer sets out at weekends when events are on:
    Maybe, but I am saying add an extra train to fill the extra demand rather than run all trains a max length all day. But you are probably right - it is less effort to just run full length trains.
    lxflyer wrote: »
    1) It is rare that these events all start/finish at the same time on a weekend - they all tend to start/finish at different times. Hence you would have to spend considerable time drawing up new driver and set rosters for every single time there was an event on to swap sets out, which frankly would take far too much time and effort.
    Maybe, but I am saying add an extra train to fill the extra demand rather than run all trains a max length all day. But you are probably right - it is less effort to just run full length trains.
    2) You would have to have additional drivers on duty on Saturdays to swap the sets to/from the depot at Fairview and shunt at Bray.

    Probably.
    3) People tend to travel across the day to particular events - it's far more difficult to predict exactly when everyone will travel
    But that applies everyday.
    There are times that what might not seem logical is actually a better option.

    I suppose.


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    #8
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,558 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    Sam Russell wrote: »
    Maybe, but I am saying add an extra train to fill the extra demand rather than run all trains a max length all day. But you are probably right - it is less effort to just run full length trains.

    1) It is rare that these events all start/finish at the same time on a weekend - they all tend to start/finish at different times. Hence you would have to spend considerable time drawing up new driver and set rosters for every single time there was an event on to swap sets out, which frankly would take far too much time and effort.

    Maybe, but I am saying add an extra train to fill the extra demand rather than run all trains a max length all day. But you are probably right - it is less effort to just run full length trains.


    Probably.


    But that applies everyday.



    I suppose.

    Weekday loading patterns would be far more consistent and easier to predict.


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