Signal Failure 27-03

The Hill Billy

Another classic from Irish Rail!

Signal failure this morning at Connolly meant that - for myself & a couple of hundred others on the first train in from Drogheda - we got booted off in Clontarf Station & had to make our own way into town.

We were told that our tickets would be valid on Dublin Bus. That's alright then. Until the only bus in the station pulled out empty without letting anyone board.

Well done. :mad:

To pìss me off even more & add insult to injury - as I crossed the Liffey there's the ol' choo-choos trundling across in Tara Street again.

positron

And oh, can I mention, last night (26/03) the 2010 service to Drogheda and the 2045 Enterprise service to Belfast, both reached Drogheda around 2300? Thats 1 hour 45 minutes delay on top of the usual time of 30 mins! :mad:

The 2010 service was held at Mosney for nearly two hours - driver came on PA once, but it was totally inaudible - no one understood a word.

The Enterprise service which I was on was at Gormanston for an hour and half, but at least they kept everyone informed over the PA, the driver (?) came over to each coach and explained the situation to everyone in person, they had the door open if anyone want to step out to stretch their legs or have a smoke, and they even had free tea / coffee on offer! I that thats acceptable level of service from a first world railway service.

Last time when such a major delay happened near Marrion gates, I was told I had set my expectations too high for the IrishRail. Now, what is so special about Northern Ireland (who operates the Enterprise I think) over the 'booming Celtic tiger’ republic?

What really annoys me is the fact that my partner, who needs her prescription medicines time to time, was stuck in these green bins for nearly 3 hours – and not once, but TWICE in a like two weeks!!? :mad:

< / Rant>

markpb

Hill Billy wrote:

We were told that our tickets would be valid on Dublin Bus. That's alright then. Until the only bus in the station pulled out empty without letting anyone board.

The two buses (103 & 104) that start on the station grounds don't go to the city centre, they serve Clontarf, Artane, Coolock, Santry, Glasnevin, Ballymun and Finglas. And you never, ever want to get one.

I presume you know this already, but walk to the road outside and get a 130 into town. Same old crap from IR - they should have told you where to go and which buses to get, it wouldn't have taken a lot of work.

Hill Billy wrote:

To pìss me off even more & add insult to injury - as I crossed the Liffey there's the ol' choo-choos trundling across in Tara Street again.

The break in service was between Connolly and Clontarf Road. Trains were still running between Tara and Connolly.

positron wrote:

And oh, can I mention, last night (26/03) the 2010 service to Drogheda and the 2045 Enterprise service to Belfast, both reached Drogheda around 2300? Thats 1 hour 45 minutes delay on top of the usual time of 30 mins! :mad:

If it was delayed by more than an hour, you should wander over to the Platform 11 website and pick up a refund form. IIRC you're due at least half your ticket price back.

Ste.phen

I dunno, if you need somewhere warm to sit for a few hours, the 103 is pretty good

Terrontress

positron wrote:

Last time when such a major delay happened near Marrion gates, I was told I had set my expectations too high for the IrishRail. Now, what is so special about Northern Ireland (who operates the Enterprise I think) over the 'booming Celtic tiger’ republic?

< / Rant>

Apparently 50% are operated by NIR, 50% by IE. I think the best way to see which is which is to listen for the accents on the staff.

positron

markpb wrote:

If it was delayed by more than an hour, you should wander over to the Platform 11 website and pick up a refund form. IIRC you're due at least half your ticket price back.

Thanks markpb! They did mention the refund last night in Enterprise, but to be honest, I don't want the money! I believe rail network, like other public transport is an essential service that Government is responsible for. Its like water or electricity at home - I am sure you would agree that asking someone to live without power supply for a month, and then compensating them by paying a months ESB billl, is just not right. 'Essential' is the keyword here.

Terrontress wrote:

Apparently 50% are operated by NIR, 50% by IE. I think the best way to see which is which is to listen for the accents on the staff.

Thanks, I didn't know that. Accent I heard last night was more English than Irish.

Chris_533976

positron wrote:

The 2010 service was held at Mosney for nearly two hours - driver came on PA once, but it was totally inaudible - no one understood a word.

Can I ask why, the the two hours, noone knocked on the drivers door and said "Sorry we couldnt understand the PA, could you tell me why we're delayed"???

Zoney

positron wrote:

Thanks, I didn't know that. Accent I heard last night was more English than Irish.

Well that doesn't tell you much! A Norn Iron accent is quite distinguishable from an English one I can tell you!

positron

Chris_533976 wrote:

Can I ask why, the the two hours, noone knocked on the drivers door and said "Sorry we couldnt understand the PA, could you tell me why we're delayed"???

I don't know, many might have walked up and asked, I would have but I was not on that train myself. One could also have used the intercom next to the door I suppose, but as far as my gf is concerned, I kept her informed from the Enterprise.

The fact that the PA was inaudible, and that no one made an effort to explain the situation properly still remains!

Zoney wrote:

Well that doesn't tell you much! A Norn Iron accent is quite distinguishable from an English one I can tell you!

I know, and when I said English accent, I meant he didn't have a Northern accent, nor dub, d4, cork, mayo, monaghan or anything like that. He had a slightly english accent.

Anyway, moving on, the service was many times better than the average "green bin service" that seems to be the "accepted norm" around here.

positron

Okay, they are at it all over again!

Northbound DART broke down at Connolly, halfway into platform 6, and blocking both 6 and 7 in the process, and unlike what I heard on the radio, the delay was not 40 minutes - more like an hour to two hours depending on which train you are on.

The 1728 service to Drogheda was right behind the broken down DART (same service that was delayed nearly three hours last month) and was stuck over the bridge.

At Connolly station, platform 6 and 7 was choc-a-bloc full of people and finally around 1800 came the 'we would like to apologies, but..' announcement. Twenty minutes later they started re-routing trains thru platform 5, but the 1728 still going nowhere. Around 1850 they let the 1750 service on platform 5, with people literally squeezed against the doors and windows! A few more did get in from Connolly, I have no idea how, and then they had another Drogheda train at Platform 7, I was told that it was the 1823 service, but the guy had obviously no idea, or was a bit confused himself. He even insisted that the 1728 service is already left Connolly, where as it was in fact going back to Pearse! They switched lanes there and after further delays to let the faster services like Enterprise etc thru, they got to Drogheda around 2020, approximately two hours late!

I am saying nothing! :mad: