Mains power on trains?

oscarBravo

Can anyone tell me if mains power is available on the train from Castlebar to Dublin? I'll be travelling this evening, and it would be nice to know if I can expect to use the laptop for more than an hour.

MarkoP11

The Dublin Westport train will have one power socket at the bottom of each luggage rack at the coach ends. Use not permitted strictly speaking the sockets are for the cleaners but you won't be stopped. That is 230V and works but a extension lead might be useful

If its the Fridays only to Ballina (yes I know it doesn't serve Castlebar) you need a werid european plug but reports indicate it if you manage to plug in it is good juice for laptops but its actual voltage is unknown so unless you have an international power adaptor (standard issue with laptops) avoid

On the newer Dublin Cork train all first class seats have them and in standard seats 5 and 6 have a double socket behind them and there is a further pair in the corridor

All Japanese/Spainish built suburban/DART trains also have sockets again sit in the very last seat

Victor

bedlam wrote:

From what I can remember, though it has been a few years now, there should be mains power under one of the seats at the end of each carriage.

But search!

John R

Those outlets are not really for public use, they are for the cleaning staff but they should work. On the older coaches the sockets use round pins though.

It is VERY disappointing that the new CDE coaches have neither power points or at-seat audio. It is standard fare for new-builds for IC traind in most countries now.

oscarBravo

I've heard a rumour there are outlets in first class - might splash on an upgraded ticket, it's a business trip after all. I'm not pushed on the idea of plugging into an unauthorised outlet; I have visions of being sued when someone trips over a trailing wire.

MarkoP11

First doesn't exist to Wesport and even then beyond the new Cork train there are no sockets in first

No signs or notices exist saying you can't plug in

Red Alert

All irish rail coaching stock from the Cravens, definitely the Mark 2's onwards have 230/400V 3-phase power.

So any socket you can plug into should in theory be the same as your ESB socket at home, voltage or frequency might not be spot on but your laptop power supply should be ok.

oscarBravo

Heh. After all that, I ran out the door in such a hurry I left the mains adapter for the laptop at home. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the advice anyway, guys.

loyatemu

John R wrote:

Those outlets are not really for public use, they are for the cleaning staff but they should work. On the older coaches the sockets use round pins though.

It is VERY disappointing that the new CDE coaches have neither power points or at-seat audio. It is standard fare for new-builds for IC traind in most countries now.

what's at-seat audio? for announcements?

Red Alert

In-seat audio is usually fed by a combination of about 5 or 6 radio tuners or CD changers, so you get roughly that many channels.

Some do indeed have an override so that you will hear any announcements.

mikedragon32

loyatemu wrote:

what's at-seat audio? for announcements?

More or less the same as the in-flight audio on planes.

ICE trains in Germany have it.

Tabnabs

I saw a student get bollocked by the conductor on the Dublin/Cork train last year for plugging in their mobile to recharge it. Funny thing was, the train was jammed full, not enough seats and so the students had to sit on the floor by the luggage rack. I though it was small consolation for this inconvenience...

Seth Brundle

Are there signs beside the sockets indicating that they are not for general use?

MarkoP11

There is no notice saying don't use by inverse no notice saying you can

There is no entry in the terms and conditions of travel or SI 109 of 1984 which mention power sockets

On the new Cork train I'm fairly sure there is a notice which says for use only by laptops and phone chargers, I'll have to dig up the photo

road_high

Dyflin wrote:

I saw a student get bollocked by the conductor on the Dublin/Cork train last year for plugging in their mobile to recharge it. Funny thing was, the train was jammed full, not enough seats and so the students had to sit on the floor by the luggage rack. I though it was small consolation for this inconvenience...

IE never fail to 'put the customer first' do they:rolleyes: .

Red Alert

That's just plain silly, the EGV/GSV's are inherently inefficient (as is any diesel-powered generator) so one more mobile charger is not going to affect IE's bottom line.

Victor

MarkoP11 wrote:

On the new Cork train I'm fairly sure there is a notice which says for use only by laptops and phone chargers

Deep fat fryers might be frowned upon.

monument

MarkoP11 wrote:

If its the Fridays only to Ballina

There's not enough room to swing a mouse on that, never mind a power cable.

MarkoP11 wrote:

On the newer Dublin Cork train all first class seats have them and in standard seats 5 and 6 have a double socket behind them and there is a further pair in the corridor

John R wrote:

Those outlets are not really for public use, they are for the cleaning staff but they should work. On the older coaches the sockets use round pins though.

It is VERY disappointing that the new CDE coaches have neither power points or at-seat audio. It is standard fare for new-builds for IC traind in most countries now.

Would it have cost them much more to kit the whole train with power and headphone jacks, like the Acela Express (I know the whole train is ‘business class’) or the examples by other posters.