Sallins to Heuston train "service"

Kashkai

This route is nothing short of a complete and utter joke at this point in time. 3 times this week I 've arrived at the station for the 7.10 train to hear that its been cancelled for "operational reasons" - Iarnrod Eireann's favourite catchphrase. So we're all left standing in the freezing cold and fog for the late arrival of the next train. Get on board the sardine express - sorry I take that back, its no express:rolleyes: - for the trip into Heuston. By the time I get off the train and walk to the office, I'd have been there 20 minutes earlier if I'd driven. Whats the bloody point of public transport when its as deplorable as this. Its not as if they even give a discount for the crappy service, late/no show trains and of course you now have to pay for the privilege of parking your car in a car park that was free up to now.

And before someone suggests complaining to IR, what's the point, they don't give a damn. Rant over, I'm going to lunch;)

MaceFace

And that is one of the reaons I am now back to driving.

BTW: The reason for the cancellations is because of industrial action.

All in the same week we hear about congestion charges.

KC61

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

This route is nothing short of a complete and utter joke at this point in time. 3 times this week I 've arrived at the station for the 7.10 train to hear that its been cancelled for "operational reasons" - Iarnrod Eireann's favourite catchphrase. So we're all left standing in the freezing cold and fog for the late arrival of the next train. Get on board the sardine express - sorry I take that back, its no express:rolleyes: - for the trip into Heuston. By the time I get off the train and walk to the office, I'd have been there 20 minutes earlier if I'd driven. Whats the bloody point of public transport when its as deplorable as this. Its not as if they even give a discount for the crappy service, late/no show trains and of course you now have to pay for the privilege of parking your car in a car park that was free up to now.

And before someone suggests complaining to IR, what's the point, they don't give a damn. Rant over, I'm going to lunch;)

That is the 0630 from Portlaoise, which as per www.irishrail.ie is cancelled currently. There is an HR issue within Irish Rail which has resulted in the drivers initiating a work to rule (not a strike!), whereby they are not covering sickness, absence, overtime or unrostered duties.

This means that for the moment the 0630 ex-Portlaoise is cancelled, along with the 1735 to Carlow as they are unrostered duties, along with two return services on the Cork/Cobh line in the evenings.

It also is the reason for the cancellations/deferred trains on the Cork/Dublin and Westport/Dublin routes.

The issues themselves are quite wide ranging and have been in the melting pot for some time.

The train will remain cancelled until a resolution is found - I would suggest checking www.irishrail.ie each evening.

fitzyshea

Do we have any idaea what the issues are? Iusually get the 17.35 to Carlow but have had to get a bus from Newbridge to Carlow this week. Think Ill stick to the 18.25 from no one! Pity cause the 17.35 was great.

Colonel Sanders

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

And before someone suggests complaining to IR, what's the point, they don't give a damn. Rant over, I'm going to lunch;)

complaining after trying to get a train to Dublin for a hurling match. the reply might as well have told me to f*ck off. I asked numerous questions and didn't get any of them answered. I wrote back asking why the questions hadn't been answered and again highlighting them to be answered and got no reply at all.

Joke service, swore I'd never use it again and haven't (except for one trip to a stag weekend when everyone else was travelling by train, service was a complete joke then too). Thank god I now have a car.

Riskymove

well there's even less space for us at hazelhatch!!:mad:

KC61

fitzyshea wrote: »

Do we have any idaea what the issues are? Iusually get the 17.35 to Carlow but have had to get a bus from Newbridge to Carlow this week. Think Ill stick to the 18.25 from no one! Pity cause the 17.35 was great.

They relate to drivers conditions of work - quite wide ranging and to be honest not really appropriate to discuss here. Hopefully the company and drivers will set talks up asap.

DWCommuter

KC61 wrote: »

They relate to drivers conditions of work - quite wide ranging and to be honest not really appropriate to discuss here. Hopefully the company and drivers will set talks up asap.

Yes it is indeed quite wide ranging and maybe even justified. However it is appropriate to discuss it if you have in dept knowledge of it to share because people are being messed around and IE management seem to think its ok to tell lies to their customers.

Victor

KC61 wrote: »

There is an HR issue within Irish Rail which has resulted in the drivers initiating a work to rule (not a strike!), whereby they are not covering sickness, absence, overtime or unrostered duties.

I'm getting this at the end of a chain, but I understand this is the practical end of the problem. Essentially there aren't enough drivers to go around and if theres a problem, there isn't enough people to cover it.

There have been lots of cancellations this weekend, with Irish Rail variously giving "Due to operational problems associated with crewing", "operational problems", "due to driver non-availability", "driver non-attendance"

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=55150649&postcount=175 and subsequent posts


DO NOT POST ANYTHING IMFLAMMATORY ON THIS THREAD.

popebenny16

Victor wrote: »

DO NOT POST ANYTHING IMFLAMMATORY ON THIS THREAD.

Has it come to this?

Anyway, the real scandal in this was that it was known about for a long time back, the genesis of this lies in the Cork dispute when the CDE was introduced.

What is the point of management who cannot manage? Personally speaking, if IE management were working in my firm they would have long since had a P45 stuffed in their arses.

Kashkai

And another thing............

I spotted a poster in Connolly yesterday with Iarnrod Eireann stating that 95% of their trains are on time

Which trains are these as I want to get one:rolleyes:

It sure as hell doesn't apply to the Kildare route - deplorable service from a company that doesn't give a toss about their customers but knows how to charge for their "service"

popebenny16

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

And another thing............

I spotted a poster in Connolly yesterday with Iarnrod Eireann stating that 95% of their trains are on time

Which trains are these as I want to get one:rolleyes:

It sure as hell doesn't apply to the Kildare route - deplorable service from a company that doesn't give a toss about their customers but knows how to charge for their "service"

http://www.railusers.ie/blog/10022008.php

DWCommuter

popebenny16 wrote: »

http://www.railusers.ie/blog/10022008.php

or

http://www.centralmentalhospital.ie/en/

Have a nice day!!!

popebenny16

DWCommuter wrote: »

or

http://www.centralmentalhospital.ie/en/

Have a nice day!!!

I had an electrifying time there

Daemonic

Riskymove wrote: »

well there's even less space for us at hazelhatch!!:mad:

Try the 67X instead if Heuston or City Centre are your destination. I gave up on the train because of the delays mentioned above and so far the bus is more reliable. Bit slower but at least it arrives.

Poppers1888

One of the reasons they can claim that the trains are mostly on time is because if you look at the train timetable in sallins or whereve you get on it gives the train approx 40-45 mins to get to hueston ( looking at arrival time in sallins then arrival time in Heuston )when in reality most of the time it only takes about 25 mins - and also they say a train is on time if it is within 10mins so they are giving themselves approx a 30 min window of lateness there.
SALLINS MORNING TRAINS ARE A JOKE

Kashkai

All joking aside, I spent another 35 minutes waiting on a train in Sallins this morning after 2 failed to show up and a third was late. The problem with this line is usually the Dublin bound trains which are coming up from the country. Now on a long distance runs they will undoubtably be late (punctuality not being IR's forte:rolleyes:) So why don't IR put on more commuter trains, i.e. to serve commuters in the Dublin region on this line and then let the country trains have a clear run from say Portlaoise into Dublin. Cut down on the overcrowding, and possibly improve the speed of the service too. They managed to do it on the Maynooth line which I used for 12 years - it too used to be as deplorable as the Kildare line but it is now at least a fairly punctual service which cannot under any circumstances be said about the Kildare route.

KC61

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

All joking aside, I spent another 35 minutes waiting on a train in Sallins this morning after 2 failed to show up and a third was late. The problem with this line is usually the Dublin bound trains which are coming up from the country. Now on a long distance runs they will undoubtably be late (punctuality not being IR's forte:rolleyes:) So why don't IR put on more commuter trains, i.e. to serve commuters in the Dublin region on this line and then let the country trains have a clear run from say Portlaoise into Dublin. Cut down on the overcrowding, and possibly improve the speed of the service too. They managed to do it on the Maynooth line which I used for 12 years - it too used to be as deplorable as the Kildare line but it is now at least a fairly punctual service which cannot under any circumstances be said about the Kildare route.

Right now there is not enough rolling stock, but with the Laois Traincare depot to open shortly there should then be additional movements between the depot and Heuston required, and this should then mean that there will be some additional services.

trellheim

Yes, even movements from Port to Connolly in the AM allowing a passenger service to be run, as it would also in the evening via the PHOENIX PARK TUNNEL

but

KC61

trellheim wrote: »

Yes, even movements from Port to Connolly in the AM allowing a passenger service to be run, as it would also in the evening via the PHOENIX PARK TUNNEL

Sets used for Rosslare and Sligo routes will be maintained at Connolly Traincare Depot and as such will only require occasional visits to Portlaoise.

penexpers

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

All joking aside, I spent another 35 minutes waiting on a train in Sallins this morning after 2 failed to show up and a third was late. The problem with this line is usually the Dublin bound trains which are coming up from the country. Now on a long distance runs they will undoubtably be late (punctuality not being IR's forte:rolleyes:) So why don't IR put on more commuter trains, i.e. to serve commuters in the Dublin region on this line and then let the country trains have a clear run from say Portlaoise into Dublin. Cut down on the overcrowding, and possibly improve the speed of the service too. They managed to do it on the Maynooth line which I used for 12 years - it too used to be as deplorable as the Kildare line but it is now at least a fairly punctual service which cannot under any circumstances be said about the Kildare route.

I come in from Newbridge in the morning and there's only two trains that are usually on time (the 0640 and the 0735). The rest can be a bit hit and miss. I just turn up at the station and catch the first train that shows up (provided it's not too full). I think Newbridge has slightly more services in the morning though.

The problem with the Kildare line at the moment is that there's only two tracks so your idea of letting the country trains have a clear run from Portlaoise wouldn't work because you would have two trains going the same way at different speeds. However, the Kildare Route Project might make life better on the Kildare line, because then the commuter trains can be taken out of the way of the inter city trains between Hazelhatch and Cherry Orchard (soon to be called Parkwest).

I wouldn't really call the Kildare line overcrowded, not when compared to the Maynooth line anyway.

Kashkai

penexpers wrote: »

I wouldn't really call the Kildare line overcrowded, not when compared to the Maynooth line anyway.

In the mornings, it is impossible to get a seat at Sallins - never happened for me anyway. You're lucky if you have sufficient standing room to read a book/paper. I'd call this overcrowded.

penexpers

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

In the mornings, it is impossible to get a seat at Sallins - never happened for me anyway. You're lucky if you have sufficient standing room to read a book/paper. I'd call this overcrowded.

Not being able to get a seat does not mean overcrowded.

smellyanus

penexpers wrote: »

Not being able to get a seat does not mean overcrowded.

I'd say it does!
Anyway
A friend of mine is a train driver and he told me the whole story about the recent cancellations. It boils down to fussyness and money to be honest.

Regarding the 10 minutes "grace" irish rail give themselves, I absolutely hounded irishrail about this issue. eventually after exploring several avenues and harassing numerous bodies the answer irishrail gave the asai was something like - ten minutes grace is international standards (can anyone confirm this?. and they also promised to include this detail in any of their advertisements).
Can the person who posted about the poster proclaiming 94% punctuality remember if this detail was included?

Kashkai

smellyanus wrote: »

I'd say it does!
Anyway
A friend of mine is a train driver and he told me the whole story about the recent cancellations. It boils down to fussyness and money to be honest.

Regarding the 10 minutes "grace" irish rail give themselves, I absolutely hounded irishrail about this issue. eventually after exploring several avenues and harassing numerous bodies the answer irishrail gave the asai was something like - ten minutes grace is international standards (can anyone confirm this?. and they also promised to include this detail in any of their advertisements).
Can the person who posted about the poster proclaiming 94% punctuality remember if this detail was included?

I can't say for sure but I don't recall seeing anything about a 10 minute grace period - of course it could have been in the microscopic small print:rolleyes:

The boys were out in force this morning when the sallins train pulled into Heuston. They were checking tickets and had small tables set up to get the details of those transgressors who refuse to pay for the sterling service provided by IR. Oh and they were backed up by the 6ft+ eastern europeans in their snazzy black uniforms - reminded me of a scene from Schindlers List when the overcrowded train pulled into the concentration camp and the "passengers" had to queue to have their details taken by men in snazzy black uniforms - OMG :eek: I'M DRIVING FROM NOW ON:D

smellyanus

If I keep getting off a train thats already 15 minutes late adn then have to wait another ten or fifteen to get off the platform because they are checking tickets I am seriously going to tell them to f*** themselves.

By the way Dave I also travel from Sallins every morning and something interesting I noticed yesterday was the ticket inspector telling a woman beside me who wanted to buy a ticket that he was only there to sell tickets to people going to clondalkin and cherry orchard, not heuston.
He said there fore she would have to pay a fine and then he pointed at a sign and said "read the sign, read the sign". By the way the sign was upside down, the clowns could nt even get that right.
Strangely though, less than two minutes earlier he had sold a woman the other side of me a ticket from sallins to heuston

MOH

smellyanus wrote: »

I'd say it does!
Anyway
A friend of mine is a train driver and he told me the whole story about the recent cancellations. It boils down to fussyness and money to be honest.

Regarding the 10 minutes "grace" irish rail give themselves, I absolutely hounded irishrail about this issue. eventually after exploring several avenues and harassing numerous bodies the answer irishrail gave the asai was something like - ten minutes grace is international standards (can anyone confirm this?. and they also promised to include this detail in any of their advertisements).
Can the person who posted about the poster proclaiming 94% punctuality remember if this detail was included?

Might have been me, I mentioned it before. There was no footnote indicating any measuring criteria.

I complained to the ASAI about the poster. They came back about a month later and said that while it was outside their remit (as the posters only appear on IE owned advertising sites, and the ASAI only deal with paid-for advertising) they had contacted IE anyway. IE made the same claim that 10 minutes is an international standard (which I've been unable to find any reference to online). They also stated that they would place a footnote on future similar posters indicating these criteria. Whether they do remains to be seen.

Victor

MOH wrote: »

IE made the same claim that 10 minutes is an international standard

I understand it is 5 minutes.

MOH

I've heard five minutes too but still could find any reference to that online either.

Passing through Connolly in a bit of a hurry Sunday night, noticed a new poster up about 'punctuality' on the Sligo line, was surprised to see it included a reasonably sized footnote indicating that a ten-minute window was being allowed, so they obviously did get enough complaints to feel the need to change it.

Kashkai

MOH wrote: »

I've heard five minutes too but still could find any reference to that online either.

Passing through Connolly in a bit of a hurry Sunday night, noticed a new poster up about 'punctuality' on the Sligo line, was surprised to see it included a reasonably sized footnote indicating that a ten-minute window was being allowed, so they obviously did get enough complaints to feel the need to change it.

When I went to school, the word 'punctual' meant being on time not up to 10 minutes late. I suppose they apply the same criteria to the word 'service' which means you might get to your destination in one piece or the word ' customer' which means animals that have no rights whatsoever.:mad:

Heard Barry Kenny on the radio this morning bemoaning the fact that the current dispute with the drivers is making people lose confidence in IR. I wasn't aware anyone did have confidence in IR. As for the dispute, has anyone noticed any difference to their crappy service?

Oh I for one have no more confidence in IR and have gone back to the car. Prosperous to Parkgate street in 45 minutes, thats about 10 - 15 minutes quicker than getting the train so its bye bye IR for me - no more cancelled trains, late trains, sardine like standing room, surly IR staff, being treated like a criminal by their ticket inspections etc etc etc.:D

DWCommuter

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

When I went to school, the word 'punctual' meant being on time not up to 10 minutes late. I suppose they apply the same criteria to the word 'service' which means you might get to your destination in one piece or the word ' customer' which means animals that have no rights whatsoever.:mad:

Heard Barry Kenny on the radio this morning bemoaning the fact that the current dispute with the drivers is making people lose confidence in IR. I wasn't aware anyone did have confidence in IR. As for the dispute, has anyone noticed any difference to their crappy service?

Oh I for one have no more confidence in IR and have gone back to the car. Prosperous to Parkgate street in 45 minutes, thats about 10 - 15 minutes quicker than getting the train so its bye bye IR for me - no more cancelled trains, late trains, sardine like standing room, surly IR staff, being treated like a criminal by their ticket inspections etc etc etc.:D

I don't blame you Dave and your return to the car sums up everything that is wrong with public transport provision in Ireland. Even user groups are competing against each other to get improvements, without realising that they are causing bigger problems in the process. The whole area of "transport" in Ireland is leaderless, hence the resulting madness. Thats why I'd rather step back, watch and comment now, than get involved in it again.