Problems on the Principle Line

Ham'nd'egger

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0416/train.html

200 stranded on Sligo to Dublin train
Wednesday, 16 April 2008 13:08

More than 200 passengers on the Iarnród Éireann Sligo to Dublin rail service are stuck at the station in Clonsilla after a signal fault this morning. The train left Longford at 10.15am but was delayed initially in Westmanstown for 35 minutes and came to a halt again in Clonsilla.
Passengers have just been told that power failure is responsible for the delay.

An ambulance has arrived in Clonsilla to take away a person who has fallen ill on the train. Passengers on board the train said Iarnród Éireann had not given them any indication when the train will continue its journey. There are no taxis or local bus services yet available at the station to allow passengers continue on their journeys.

And from the horses mouth...

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=228

Service Disruption : Sligo - Connolly service by Corporate Communications

Wednesday 12.45hrs 16th April

Iarnród Eireann advises customers that the 9.00hrs and 11.05hrs Sligo to Dublin services are currently delayed by up to 90 minutes due to a signalling fault. Customers are advised that where delays exceed 60 minutes, customers are eligible for refund vouchers under our Passengers Charter

Refund voucher application forms may be downloaded here

Iarnród Éireann apologises for the inconvenience caused.

Cionád

And now...

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=237

Maynooth Services currently suspended

Wednesday 16th April - 14.15hrs

Iarnrod Eireann regret to inform customers that due to a signalling fault Maynooth Services currently suspended.

We are working to rectify the fault, and this website will be update as further information is available.

Dublin Bus are currently honouring rail tickets on relevant services on this route.

Iarnrod Eireann apologises for any inconvenience caused.

markpb

What's a Principle Line?

KC61

markpb wrote: »

What's a Principle Line?

I think he meant "principal"!

icdg

Absolute madness trying to get home for anyone in North Kildare tonight - no trains and 66/A/B bus services subject to long delays through Lucan, fo no apparent reason other than the change to the on-slip at the Spa (which was a Stop sign before, but now its far more difficult to merge due to works).

If you're trying to get a 66/A/B tonight, go to Pearse Street - the bus I took had to leave passngers at Westmoreland Street behind.

But back to the trains - any clue as to when they'll be back?

what2do

I called into Connolly this eve and they are "working" on it - they hope to have trains up and running for the morning..... fingers crossed cos the buses will be a nightmare....

Dubh Geannain

I'd really like to have got some kind of update before I went to bed tonight. I'm going to have to get up a half hour earlier just to be on the safe side.

Victor

I think check the phone book for IÉ numbers and phone them now or first thing.

what2do

the web site now says 10.15 update with no further information... When I spoke to IE earlier there didn't seem to be any available number of outside office hours for up to date info. Customer Care closed at 7pm

Dubh Geannain

I was thinking of doing that alright.

This doesn't look good: http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=237

thebman

Its ridiculous, this can't be just a signal failure if its still not fixed. To have an entire line down for this time is madness. I can't believe they screwed everyone over like this.

The update to their website with 2 train times that was later taken down was a real kick in the teeth TBH.

Redsoxfan

Will the results of the Zimbabwe election be released before IE next give an update?

Seriously, what happened, or what could have happened, to lead to a delay this long? I don't remember anything this bad for quite a while.

Hitman Actual

brim4brim wrote: »

Its ridiculous, this can't be just a signal failure if its still not fixed. To have an entire line down for this time is madness. I can't believe they screwed everyone over like this.

I have to agree, it's very strange that something that seems so simple as a "signal failure" is still not fixed after nearly 12 hours. It would be nice to be informed how bad the problem really is.

Today was the first time on the bus in a few years... I'd forgotten how much I hated them.

Victor

I suspect morning services will be profoundly limited. Latest update was 2215, but says nothing new.

what2do

Its not a signal failure... its an electricity failure that is affecting one of the level crossings.

JDxtra

Update at 11pm says check media or the web site before travelling. :eek: They will be working through the night to fix it.

líreacán

I was one of the unfortunates to be stuck at Clonsilla station on the 11.05 train from Connolly to Maynooth. Three hours we were delayed. We had two messages saying "The delay is due to signal failure" and one to tell us we could smoke on the platform if we wanted to and another to tell us that they were waiting for maintainence to arrive and that is all, no sign as to how long we would be.

After two and a half hours they started to offer free tea and coffee (although the term 'offer' must be used lightly, the guy stood in the last carraige and waited for people to come to him (not his fault, an announcement or something should have been made).

In the meantime I went to the guy in the station to ask was there any bus services running to Maynooth. I was told no, no bus service that way and to not bother going into the city centre as it would be bedlam with the state funeral. Why couldn't a feeder bus service have been run for us passengers either back into Dublin or out to Maynooth etc.?

COming home then this evening, with the trains still not running and a continued lack of feeder buses, I waited for a 67a to take me into town. At 20.05 a bus pulled into the stop to let passengers off. He told us waiting passengers - there's a bus just behind me, he'll be the bus into town. 20.30 arrives, still no bus. So, walked to the 66 stop to get the 20.50 bus. Never showed up. At half nine, an hour and a half having waited for a bus, I finally get on a bus. On the way in, pass three 66 bus' on the way to Maynooth.

Why couldn't there have been extra bus services put on? Or even just the timetabled services? This city is a joke for transport and today has just proven it so.

Good luck to those travelling tomorrow, I am taking the day off.

thomasj

And finally some good news!

http://http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=237

UPDATE 01.30hrs : Maynooth Line /Docklands-Clonsilla Services to operate as normal by Corporate Communications


Update - Thursday 17th April - 01.30hrs



Iarnrod Éireann is pleased to announce that Engineers working on the major signal failure at Porterstown have rectified the problem.



All Maynooth services will operate as normal for the morning peak.



All Docklands services will operate as normal.



All outer commuter and Sligo Intercity serviceas will operate as normal

daymobrew

líreacán wrote: »

I was one of the unfortunates to be stuck at Clonsilla station on the 11.05 train from Connolly to Maynooth. .....

Write to Car Carmichael, General Manager, Irish Rail, Connolly Station, Dublin 1.
He needs to know how brutal their backup plans are.

You should also write to someone way up in Dublin Bus to report the pathetic lack of service you experienced with them. DB didn't have any major failures to blame their mess on, not at 9pm anyway.

markf909

daymobrew wrote: »

You should also write to someone way up in Dublin Bus to report the pathetic lack of service you experienced with them. DB didn't have any major failures to blame their mess on, not at 9pm anyway.

The traffic situation in Lucan destroyed the running schedules of all the 66's and 67's yesterday.

There was a controller down on Pearse st keeping all passengers advised when I was down last night waiting for the bus.

Seth Brundle

Hamndegger wrote: »

Customers are advised that where delays exceed 60 minutes, customers are eligible for refund vouchers under our Passengers Charter

Its all ok then!
Out of curiosity, what happens if you have a monthly or weekly ticket?

KC61

daymobrew wrote: »

Write to Car Carmichael, General Manager, Irish Rail, Connolly Station, Dublin 1.
He needs to know how brutal their backup plans are.

You should also write to someone way up in Dublin Bus to report the pathetic lack of service you experienced with them. DB didn't have any major failures to blame their mess on, not at 9pm anyway.

Dublin Bus were reported as experiencing major problems in the evening peak with buses taking far in excess of normal running time to get to Leixlip/Celbridge and Maynooth, due to congestion in Lucan. Given that this means that buses (and drivers) would be significantly late getting back into the city centre on the return journey, it follows that there would be a significant knock-on effect on later services, i.e. those at 9pm.

There are a finite number of buses and drivers available and unfortunately DB does not have large numbers of both sitting in depots to cover for this.

It is also the case that Dublin Bus is precluded from operating any additional buses (or indeed the larger tri-axle buses) along the Lucan QBC by the Department of Transport, who fear that private operators will complain to the EU about the use of government subsidies against said private operators.

I know that this is manifestly daft, but it is the situation that DB are faced with. Meanwhile people are left waiting at bus stops. This is unlikely to change until the current EU investigation is completed and the bus licensing laws reformed.

Cionád

It's a joke. My friend took 2 hours, 20 mins to get from Westmoreland St. to Leixlip village on the 5:20 66. It would take as long to get to Belfast ffs.

They should bypass Lucan village at least for a temporary measure, most Lucan DB users get the 25/A anyway.

As for Iarnroid Eireann, how does it take over 14 hours from point of failure to decide that the trains can now run safely. You think they'd have some kind of contingency plan. Perhaps blocking off the effected level crossing altogether and allowing the trains to run as normal, then try to rectify at off peak times.

The sheer incompetence of CIA is the primary reason why I drive everywhere now instead of using public transport. On the odd occasion it may take longer by car, but for the majority it is quicker (and CHEAPER!) for me to drive to/from college etc.

I spent 3 months in Vancouver a few weeks back, the public transport was amazing, and if i lived there I would probably not even have a car.

rant over.

My friend is writing a letter of complaint to both Iarnroid Eireann and Dublin Bus.

KC61

Cionád wrote: »

It's a joke. My friend took 2 hours, 20 mins to get from Westmoreland St. to Leixlip village on the 5:20 66. It would take as long to get to Belfast ffs.

They should bypass Lucan village at least for a temporary measure, most Lucan DB users get the 25/A anyway.

While I understand your frustration, is that actually DB's fault? It sounds like there was traffic chaos in Lucan, which is clearly outside of DB's responsibility.

As for your suggestion about bypassing Lucan, what about people in Lucan who want to go to Leixlip/Maynooth? Not everyone is travelling to/from city centre.

As I stated above, DB are precluded by the Department of Transport from altering schedules or adding buses to any of the routes on the Lucan QBC, so I would take it up with the DoT or with the CTTC (Private operators) who initiated the complaint with the EU that has resulted in this restriction.

daymobrew

KC61 wrote: »

Dublin Bus were reported as experiencing major problems in the evening peak with buses taking far in excess of normal running time to get to Leixlip/Celbridge and Maynooth, due to congestion in Lucan.
....
There are a finite number of buses and drivers available and unfortunately DB does not have large numbers of both sitting in depots to cover for this.

Yes, I understand about lack of extra buses, just like with Irish Rail and its rolling stock all in use at peak times. Having said that, the bus driver of the 20:05 who reported a following bus should have provided more accurate information.

Would the depot phone number on the bus stop timetable have been answered at that hour? AFAIK they don't normally list the after-hours numbers.

A neighbour, coming from city centre on Wednesday evening, reported Irish Rail staff on the line acting as signals, communicating with central control by mobiles. A tedious task for them but it got people home.

KC61

daymobrew wrote: »

Would the depot phone number on the bus stop timetable have been answered at that hour? AFAIK they don't normally list the after-hours numbers.

That is incorrect. The depot numbers are fully operational during the whole day, from 0530 to 2400 or whenever buses are in service. That is the very reason that they are provided with each route timetable.

daisy123

KC61 wrote: »

That is incorrect. The depot numbers are fully operational during the whole day, from 0530 to 2400 or whenever buses are in service. That is the very reason that they are provided with each route timetable.

Not true, I tried the phone number on a bus stop when a bus did not show up to be greeted by an automated message saying to call back within business hours.

KC61

daisy123 wrote: »

Not true, I tried the phone number on a bus stop when a bus did not show up to be greeted by an automated message saying to call back within business hours.

I think you must have dialled the DB information number (8734222) which is advertised on bus stops. This is operational during business hours.

However, there are also individual garage numbers are listed below each bus timetable, both on the website and in the current bus timetable, and on the new timetable panels at bus shelters, and these are operational as long as the depot is open.

MOH

kbannon wrote: »

Its all ok then!
Out of curiosity, what happens if you have a monthly or weekly ticket?

They've some formula for pro-rata calculating the cost of a single journey based on the annual ticket cost, and the average number of journey's per year, it's something like annual cost / 420. Presume a similar calculation applies for monthly tickets.
(note: no idea where I got that figure from, I've a vague idea it's 400-something).

líreacán

KC61 wrote: »

I think you must have dialled the DB information number (8734222) which is advertised on bus stops. This is operational during business hours.

However, there are also individual garage numbers are listed below each bus timetable, both on the website and in the current bus timetable, and on the new timetable panels at bus shelters, and these are operational as long as the depot is open.

Yes, I looked for a number to call when the 20.05 67a did not show up. The bus stop musn't be one of the new ones, because it only had the information number. That's at least one improvement DB is trying to make.

JDxtra

I was getting on a 66 yesterday evening from town, but there was only standing room. I decided to get off and go to the cinema instead - looks like a made a good choice!

Sorry to hear from those who had a dreadful time yesterday - hopefully you will be willing to complain in writing (which is best) to Irish Rail.

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0417/rail.html

West Dublin rail fault repaired
Thursday, 17 April 2008 12:54

Iarnród Éireann says it expects all commuter services from Maynooth to Dublin to operate normally this morning following the repair of a signal fault at Porterstown early today.

Engineers worked late into the night to rectify what the company described as a major systems failure at the location in west Dublin.

The company says all Docklands services will also operate as normal as will outer commuter trains and the Sligo Intercity service.

Victor

kbannon wrote: »

Out of curiosity, what happens if you have a monthly or weekly ticket?

You are refunded something like one four-hundreth of the yearly value.

KC61 wrote: »

It is also the case that Dublin Bus is precluded from operating any additional buses (or indeed the larger tri-axle buses) along the Lucan QBC by the Department of Transport, who fear that private operators will complain to the EU about the use of government subsidies against said private operators.

I imagine IÉ could have provided servies between stations on what would in effect be a private hire arrangement.

KC61

Victor wrote: »

I imagine IÉ could have provided servies between stations on what would in effect be a private hire arrangement.

Without being smart Victor, where would the buses come from? Every bus is on the road during the peak.

Victor

KC61 wrote: »

Without being smart Victor, where would the buses come from? Every bus is on the road during the peak.

The tour bus fleet. School bus fleet. Roadworthy spares, vehicles slated for maintenance / overhaul / disposal.

Seth Brundle

Victor wrote: »

I imagine IÉ could have provided servies between stations on what would in effect be a private hire arrangement.

I presume that driver availability would prove the most difficult part of providing an emergency service

Victor

They had what? 8 hours notice.

"Lads. Irish Rail emergency cover - extra €50 if you can do the evening rush hour today"

Ham'nd'egger

Victor wrote: »

They had what? 8 hours notice.

"Lads. Irish Rail emergency cover - extra €50 if you can do the evening rush hour today"

Assuming there was spare drivers free to drive spare buses at the time of asking.

KC61

Realistically there would never be the required numbers of buses/drivers available in the evening peak to cover for the lack of suburban rail services on the Maynooth line.

No matter what way you dress it up that is a fact. Later in the evening, yes there would be vehicles coming free, but there would be nowhere near the required numbers available during the evening peak.

orbital83

Meaningful announcements would have helped.

For instance, IE announced on the website that the 18.10 Pearse-Longford would be running. This is normally an all-stops service.
After going back on myself from Connolly to Pearse so to have some chance of boarding, they decided to reveal the minor detail that the train in question wouldn't be stopping at ten stations along the route.

A good hour wasted to-ing and frow-ing only to finish in a taxi at the end of it all.

Organisation and communication cost next to nothing, and are vital in a crisis like we had on Wednesday. But IE just don't care.
The head honchos will still get their handsome pay, flash cars and DB pensions, and the mugs will keep getting back on their crappy trains, because there's no alternative. The joys of state monopoly.