Erm...Dublin To Cork train

RuggieBear

Really stupid question...

but is it possible to plug a laptop into "mains" socket in standard class on the train. I want to do some work (read that as watch a DVD movie:D ) but my laptop battery is completely shagged.

Any info would be great.

MarkoP11

Sit in seats 5 or 6 any standard class coach and there is a socket, otherwise get a better laptop

All seats in first on all trains (old ones as well) have sockets under the tables

Time Magazine

Only rode that train once upon a time, but people were watching DVDs on portable DVD players. No idea how long the battery lasts on them, but if it's not long I presume they would have had them plugged in?

RuggieBear

grand.

Thanks.

MarkoP11

Just look behind seats 5 & 6 there is a double socket if I recall correctly, its not under the table

Trick might be to copy the DVD to the hard drive before you leave, DVD drives are very heavy on batteries

RuggieBear

battery is completely useless. 15mins max without any applications running.

irishrail site is annoying. Heading down on the 10 o'clock train monday, retuning sometime on tuesday but not sure what time and i can't just reserve a ticket one way and have an open return the other. (unless i'm missing something really obvious)

Oh well. better bring a book

Cantab.

Amazing isn't it? Here we are in twenty 07 talking about plugging in laptops. Any of the best brains in Iarnrod Eireann ever thought about plugging in laptops to the world wide web yet? Or are they still thinking about it?

1huge1

wernt they going on about having wifi access on the trains
that wouldnt go so well if they didnt have plugs

John R

RuggieBear wrote:

battery is completely useless. 15mins max without any applications running.

irishrail site is annoying. Heading down on the 10 o'clock train monday, retuning sometime on tuesday but not sure what time and i can't just reserve a ticket one way and have an open return the other. (unless i'm missing something really obvious)

The ticket is still an open return, just because you reserve a seat you are not obliged to travel on that particular train.

RuggieBear

ahhh....cheers

MarkoP11

JohnR is totally incorrect you MUST travel on the train which you hav reserved a seat, its clearly stated in the T&C's

The ticket is not an open return

Ticket Rules.

By using the Iarnród Éireann online booking service, you will be subject to the ticket rules applicable to the particular ticket purchased.

Where a reservation has been made a customer must travel on the train that they have reserved on.

If a First Class or Citygold reservation has been made a customer may travel in standard class on another train that day as long as the journey is similar and the replacement train is not fully reserved.

bk

Given how often the plugs in seats question comes up, it shows just how stupid IR were in not simply putting a power plug in every seat.

Also the inflexibility with the booked tickets is exactly the reason why I and many others don't book our tickets.

Ham'nd'egger

bk wrote:

Given how often the plugs in seats question comes up, it shows just how stupid IR were in not simply putting a power plug in every seat.
.

But is it "stupid"? It would be an expensive exercise to retro fit the fleet with plugs at all seats, and just who will it benefit? Apart from laptop owners, there isn't a lot of additional use for these points so is the justification there, really?

MLM

Hamndegger wrote:

But is it "stupid"? It would be an expensive exercise to retro fit the fleet with plugs at all seats, and just who will it benefit? Apart from laptop owners, there isn't a lot of additional use for these points so is the justification there, really?

I don't think putting in a few sockets would be that expensive. But it appears that IR are keeping this privilage (sockets under every seat) for those who are willing to pay more to sit in first class. They're "stupid", but not that "stupid".

hunnymonster

I travel back on a different train to the one I booked all the time as I never know exactly when I'll be returning. It may be against the T&C but noone has ever said anything to me about it. I love the staff in Cork station. They usually carry my bags for me or let someone come on and chat until the train is about to depart.

Enigma365

I use the sockets on the sligo train the wholke time. They are at either end of the carriages(they use the commutter trainsets for the sligo line).

Cantab.

Hamndegger wrote:

But is it "stupid"? It would be an expensive exercise to retro fit the fleet with plugs at all seats, and just who will it benefit? Apart from laptop owners, there isn't a lot of additional use for these points so is the justification there, really?

Typical of the kind of bland, unambitious mediocrity that is IE. So much for this great knowledge-based economy of ours...

bk

Hamndegger wrote:

But is it "stupid"? It would be an expensive exercise to retro fit the fleet with plugs at all seats, and just who will it benefit? Apart from laptop owners, there isn't a lot of additional use for these points so is the justification there, really?

I'm not suggesting they retrofit old carriages. But it would have costed IR little or nothing extra to have them as a standard feature on all the new carriages that they just gotten on the Cork to Dublin route.

And it isn't just laptops, also portable DVD players, DS/PSP portable game consoles, ipods, etc.

The point being that increasingly IR will face competition from the new motorways. One of the major selling points they have to compete is that you can relax on the train and watch a DVD or do a little work. But IR make this positive selling point harder by limiting it only to first class.

So yes, they are "stupid".

Mushy

JohnR is totally incorrect you MUST travel on the train which you hav reserved a seat, its clearly stated in the T&C's

Thats odd, I missed a train in Cork a few months back and was let on the other one without being charged extra. Than again, think it was my cousins phonecall to the taxi company that made us miss the train allow that. Although I was quite appreciative, had no money left

Ham'nd'egger

Point taken, BK; I'm just curious to see what benefits there is to a Pax in having these points put in, that's all!

bk wrote:

I'm not suggesting they retrofit old carriages. But it would have costed IR little or nothing extra to have them as a standard feature on all the new carriages that they just gotten on the Cork to Dublin route.

And it isn't just laptops, also portable DVD players, DS/PSP portable game consoles, ipods, etc.

The point being that increasingly IR will face competition from the new motorways. One of the major selling points they have to compete is that you can relax on the train and watch a DVD or do a little work. But IR make this positive selling point harder by limiting it only to first class.

So yes, they are "stupid".

SeanW

One thing they should consider doing is making all the seats with sockets bookable, and then making them available for like a 50c or €1 suppliment.

RuggieBear

managed to sit at seat 5/6 on the way down. Thanks Markop11. No luck on way back tho. all the seats were taken.