Newbridge Rail Users Take Action

MarkoP11

It seems the rail users in Newbridge have had enough, I wouldn't blame them either, there sick of breakdowns, missing trains, fewer trains, ticket prices, lack of car parking, no late night services and nowhere to stand in from the rain

Anybody who is interested in being involved in forming a group or who wish their issues on the Irish Rail service from Newbridge to be heard and taken for action should head to Keadeen Hotel for 8.30pm on Thursday the 2nd of February for a public meeting.

The group is known as Newbridge Rail Group (NRG), http://www.platform11.org/NRG/

So if you are angry, frustrated or just generally pissed off now if your chance to make a difference

KC61

Good luck to this group – it’s good to see local groups getting together to campaign on issues such as these. Hopefully with some positive attitudes on all sides the various issues can be resolved satisfactorily.

However, I’m at a loss to understand where the claim of reduced morning peak services comes from.

The 0515 ex-Cork (now retimed to 0530) stopped at both Kildare and Newbridge until the new timetable came into effect. The stops were removed as they were to be replaced by a new 0605 service ex-Waterford that would stop in Kildare and Newbridge at the same times as the 0515 ex-Cork.

However, the new service from Waterford is not starting until 27th March, and either through bad planning or (probably more likely) human oversight in the timetable planning department this three month gap was not noticed. As a result there was no train at 0754 ex-Kildare or 0801 ex-Newbridge at the commencement of the new timetable.

However, within a week this had been rectified by the re-instatement of the stops at Kildare and Newbridge onto the 0530 ex-Cork. Now this change came too late for the printed timetable books and leaflets which I suspect has given rise to some significant confusion, but it is on the online timetable planner on www.irishrail.ie I would suspect though that the retention of the 0830 arrival time in Heuston might be slightly ambitious given that there are two additional stops – perhaps 0836 would be more appropriate.

Now, as to whether IE communicated this change locally in an effective manner is another question which I can’t answer, but certainly the same number of trains are operating each morning.

MarkoP11

The Waterford service commences from March 27th thus there is a reduced service, there was no oversight from IE that was the plan, its not as if they forgot to print the times, they rolled out some bull**** story of it suited the customers more, there was no mention of a lack of rolling stock (IE withdrew 8 servicable coaches last week)

IE goofed up again as the note that explains the Waterford service starts from March 27th is missing from most of the printed timetables (but not the full book) leading to total confusion as many assumed it actually ran from December 12th. Despite this being pointed out to IE they have yet to change the pdf file on the website to correct the error. It would take a few seconds with Acrobat. IE staff regularly quote the Waterford train as being cancelled, strange for a train that does not exist

There is no offical confirmation that the 5:30 am Cork Dublin calls at Kildare or Newbridge, its not to be found in a printed form, it only exists on the website still quoting the 8:30 arrival which is all but impossible anyway since there is a train 5 minutes ahead arriving 8:25, no formal notice has been given of the change

Incidently the passengers of the 5:30 ex Cork are getting pissed off making 2 unoffical stops each morning since its not in the intercity timetable

IE couldn't give a monkeys about the Kildare line currently they have avoided and continue to avoid any chance to improve the service, they still refuse to use the Phoenix Park tunnel, they still refuse to provide a Sunday service, given IE currently can't even put the correct destination on the front of the Kildare line trains its a long long road

A number of services have been cut back to start/terminate in Newbridge thus there are fewer possible journeys making Kildare harder to reach

AndrewMc

MarkoP11 wrote:

The Waterford service commences from March 27th thus there is a reduced service, there was no oversight from IE that was the plan, its not as if they forgot to print the times, they rolled out some bull**** story of it suited the customers more, there was no mention of a lack of rolling stock (IE withdrew 8 servicable coaches last week)

IE goofed up again as the note that explains the Waterford service starts from March 27th is missing from most of the printed timetables (but not the full book) leading to total confusion as many assumed it actually ran from December 12th. Despite this being pointed out to IE they have yet to change the pdf file on the website to correct the error. It would take a few seconds with Acrobat. IE staff regularly quote the Waterford train as being cancelled, strange for a train that does not exist

If you mean the timetable at http://www.iarnrodeireann.ie/your_journey/printed_timetable_pdfs/2006/dublinwaterford.pdf then I'm confused - the note about the 06.05 Waterford/Dublin was always there, and my printed timetable (obtained in mid December) also has it. If that's not the note, then which one are your referring to?

Andrew

Traffic

IE couldn't give a monkeys about the Kildare line

Ever hear of the Kildare route project!

http://www.iarnrodeireann.ie/projects/introduction.asp

MarkoP11

Tell me how many KM of 4 track is in County Kildare ?

IE chopped the 4 track to Sallins and cut it back to Hazelhatch, the upgrades of Sallins, Newbridge and Kildare stations have been abandoned

Note that IE said nothing when the DART to Kildare was killed by Transport 21

Can someone explain why Dublin Maynooth, Dublin Drogheda, Ennis Limerick and Cork Cobh have Sunday services while Kildare Heuston does not it doesn't stack up, if they can't even manage the right destination on the train (Dublin Pearse has been seen) what hope for anything else ?

Oh yeah the last 20m of the platform in Hazelhatch is in Kildare leaving about 150m of 4 track in the county

MarkoP11

AndrewMc wrote:

If you mean the timetable at http://www.iarnrodeireann.ie/your_journey/printed_timetable_pdfs/2006/dublinwaterford.pdf then I'm confused - the note about the 06.05 Waterford/Dublin was always there, and my printed timetable (obtained in mid December) also has it. If that's not the note, then which one are your referring to?

Andrew

http://www.iarnrodeireann.ie/your_journey/printed_timetable_pdfs/2006/dublinportlaoise.pdf

Its says see note A but no note A is provided.

Fact is most people don't buy the full timetable but pick up the free single sheet timetable for there route

KC61

MarkoP11 wrote:

The Waterford service commences from March 27th thus there is a reduced service, there was no oversight from IE that was the plan, its not as if they forgot to print the times, they rolled out some bull**** story of it suited the customers more, there was no mention of a lack of rolling stock (IE withdrew 8 servicable coaches last week)

IE goofed up again as the note that explains the Waterford service starts from March 27th is missing from most of the printed timetables (but not the full book) leading to total confusion as many assumed it actually ran from December 12th. Despite this being pointed out to IE they have yet to change the pdf file on the website to correct the error. It would take a few seconds with Acrobat. IE staff regularly quote the Waterford train as being cancelled, strange for a train that does not exist

There is no offical confirmation that the 5:30 am Cork Dublin calls at Kildare or Newbridge, its not to be found in a printed form, it only exists on the website still quoting the 8:30 arrival which is all but impossible anyway since there is a train 5 minutes ahead arriving 8:25, no formal notice has been given of the change

Incidently the passengers of the 5:30 ex Cork are getting pissed off making 2 unoffical stops each morning since its not in the intercity timetable

IE couldn't give a monkeys about the Kildare line currently they have avoided and continue to avoid any chance to improve the service, they still refuse to use the Phoenix Park tunnel, they still refuse to provide a Sunday service, given IE currently can't even put the correct destination on the front of the Kildare line trains its a long long road

A number of services have been cut back to start/terminate in Newbridge thus there are fewer possible journeys making Kildare harder to reach

I think that you are not only making a mountain out of a molehill on the particular issue of less trains serving Newbridge but also misrepresenting the situation. I am not defending what IE did in initially removing the train, but the fact remains that the 0530 train ex-Cork now officially stops at both Kildare and Newbridge. I know this has not been changed in any printed documentation, but the train has officially stopped there since December. Thus there are no fewer trains serving Newbridge in the morning peak.

I would agree that IE's communication of the fact that the train now services both Kildare and Newbridge leaves something to be desired, and as I have not been in either station recently I am unaware if it is advertised there. This is really where IE have fallen down. In fairness they reacted immediately to the situation and reinstated the stops on the Cork train.

Whether users on the Cork train are upset about two stops that were always there prior to the timetable change is another red herring, as that train is now faster in any case being Mk 3 operated rather than Mk 2. This will only last two more months until the Waterford service commences when the Cork can then revert to the originally devised stopping pattern.

Finally, as for the question of some trains stopping at Newbridge and not Kildare, that was not something that I questioned in my post nor was in mentioned in the NRG press release. In fact one train was curtailed to Newbridge while another was extended to Kildare, thereby cancelling each other out.

And no, lest the question be asked, I am not am employee of IE nor do I have any vested interest in IE. I'm just someone with an interest in transport in Ireland. However I would always wish for the facts of the situation to be presented in an objective manner which, I have to say, in the above post they were not.

KC61

MarkoP11 wrote:

http://www.iarnrodeireann.ie/your_journey/printed_timetable_pdfs/2006/dublinportlaoise.pdf

Its says see note A but no note A is provided.

Fact is most people don't buy the full timetable but pick up the free single sheet timetable for there route

I agree with this post entirely - this should be rectified ASAP.

AndrewMc

MarkoP11 wrote:

http://www.iarnrodeireann.ie/your_journey/printed_timetable_pdfs/2006/dublinportlaoise.pdf

Its says see note A but no note A is provided.

Fact is most people don't buy the full timetable but pick up the free single sheet timetable for there route

Fair 'nuff - wasn't looking at that timetable. Should be fixed, alright...