Could our public transit system decay with cut backs during the recession?

Run_to_da_hills

Is there any fear of our current transport system becoming neglected and decaying through any cutbacks in transportation funding? Such would be day to day repairs to vandalism, mechanics, painting and upkeep of bus fleets etc. (I think Dublin Bus has gone through about 10 different colour schemes since the 80ies).

It would be a pity to see things as they were back in the 70ies and early 80ies again. Leaving more and more suburban stations unattended after hours to save on wages could lead to more vandalism and graffiti. ( CCTV dose not work with hoodie wearing yobs)

Victor

There may be pressure from some corners, but I think the budget has steered in the correct direction.

There was a good editiorial in Tramways and Urban Transit* a few months ago. While fares and other income are under pressure and there is a reluctance to invest in capacity, more people are using public transport at peak times because of oil prices. Not only that, but off-peak journeys are down because people are making fewer discretionary journeys to shopping, entertainment or visiting.


* Its not very spotterish.

L1011

Victor wrote: »

Not only that, but off-peak journeys are down because people are making fewer discretionary journeys to shopping, entertainment or visiting.

Eight people on the 21:55 66 on Friday night demonstrated this - during the summer I've taken this and theres been eight people at my stop (starting terminus). Last Friday it was eight in total when it hit the Quays!

Run_to_da_hills

Victor wrote: »

off-peak journeys are down because people are making fewer discretionary journeys to shopping, entertainment or visiting.

They might reintroduce the 2 car Dart sets at night again. I was on an 8 car dart the other night and it was ridiculous, people were spread out sparcely. The larger unoccupied trains would require more cleaning and would take more unnecessary mechanically wear and tear.

I was quite impressed with the CCTV used. Three young guys were swinging off the grab rails and were cautioned by the driver through the intercom with a loud voice warning that they would be kicked off if they kept it up.

Nostradamus

Victor wrote: »

There was a good editiorial in Tramways and Urban Transit*

Very good magazine that. Some of their reports on the political stokes UK politicians have pulled to wreck light rail investment is a real eye-opener. They come close to all but stating that political corruption is the root of every delay or cancellation of a light rail project. There was one article a few years back on how New Labour polticians were being funded by bus operators to whip us fear about about tram wires in the street destroying the architecture using images of the worst case practice while ignoring the example of beautiful cities like Prague and Vienna which are covered in tram wires and it makes no difference to the cityscape. Now where have we heard that one before...

Certainly the gap between the 2 Luas lines in Dublin is Fianna Fail and PDs looking after their big business buddies.

L1011

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

They might reintroduce the 2 car Dart sets at night again. I was on an 8 car dart the other night and it was ridiculous, people were spread out sparcely. The larger unoccupied trains would require more cleaning and would take more unnecessary mechanically wear and tear.

I was quite impressed with the CCTV used. Three young guys were swinging off the grab rails and were cautioned by the driver through the intercom with a loud voice warning that they would be kicked off if they kept it up.

Would the downtime required to take an 8 car to Fairview, detach 6, and put it back in to service (covering costs of staff to do the seperation in Fairview) be justified by any savings from running 2 car?

Run_to_da_hills

MYOB wrote: »

Would the downtime required to take an 8 car to Fairview, detach 6, and put it back in to service (covering costs of staff to do the seperation in Fairview) be justified by any savings from running 2 car?

They had two car sets running successfully for about 14 years without any problems and had them up and ready into four car sets the following morning. Detaching and attaching only takes minutes and can be done at any location and can bre carried out by two drivers at the terminus. IE Bray or Howth.

The only draw back today is that they hav now four different generations of dart sets currently in operation. The savings would be made on power, mechanical maintenance, cleaning, and less nighttime vandalism. If they confined the late night trains to the older 8100 units.

KC61

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

They had two car sets running successfully for about 14 years without any problems and had them up and ready into four car sets the following morning. Detaching and attaching only takes minutes and can be done at any location and can bre carried out by two drivers at the terminus. IE Bray or Howth.

The only draw back today is that they hav now four different generations of dart sets currently in operation. The savings would be made on power, mechanical maintenance, cleaning, and less nighttime vandalism. If they confined the late night trains to the older 8100 units.

There are moves to use 4-car sets at weekends and at evenings, rather than 6 or 8-car. Splitting is taking place primarily at Bray with some at Fairview.

Run_to_da_hills

KC61 wrote: »

There are moves to use 4-car sets at weekends and at evenings, rather than 6 or 8-car. Splitting is taking place primarily at Bray with some at Fairview.

How long dose it take to split a car set? I could imagine it only takes a few minutes.

loyatemu

another issue (not a major one admittedly) is that all the platforms have been lengthened to take 8 cars sets, and the drivers no longer seem to know where to stop when they're in a shorter set.

Sometimes they pull right up to the end of the platform (forcing everyone down the other end to run), other times they pull up in the middle, forcing anyone who's gone down the end to run back. Annoying, and would be even worse with 2 car sets.

KC61

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

How long dose it take to split a car set? I could imagine it only takes a few minutes.

It does only take a few minutes.

However, splitting at Howth/Malahide would not be practical as then empty stock movements would be needed to get the trains back to Fairview.

Bray is the logical location as it has sufficient siding space and is a DART driver depot.

Run_to_da_hills

loyatemu wrote: »

another issue (not a major one admittedly) is that all the platforms have been lengthened to take 8 cars sets, and the drivers no longer seem to know where to stop when they're in a shorter set.

Sometimes they pull right up to the end of the platform (forcing everyone down the other end to run), other times they pull up in the middle, forcing anyone who's gone down the end to run back. Annoying, and would be even worse with 2 car sets.

It is probably just down to the driver forgetting how long his train is.It wouldn't take much to mark the platforms for corresponding train sets and notify passengers in advance the number of cars on the next arriving train.

KC61

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

It is probably just down to the driver forgetting how long his train is.It wouldn't take much to mark the platforms for corresponding train sets and notify passengers in advance the number of cars on the next arriving train.

It's nothing to do with a driver "forgetting" anything.

The TV monitors that display the pictures from the cameras along the platform are all located at the end of the platform, hence if the driver is using the monitors he will stop beside them.

dowlingm

On Toronto subway platforms there is a designated waiting zone which has additional lighting, a seat and an intercom to enhance security. Seems like a good thing to put on DART platforms at the point where a 2-car set would stop.

markpb

loyatemu wrote: »

another issue (not a major one admittedly) is that all the platforms have been lengthened to take 8 cars sets, and the drivers no longer seem to know where to stop when they're in a shorter set.

Sometimes they pull right up to the end of the platform (forcing everyone down the other end to run), other times they pull up in the middle, forcing anyone who's gone down the end to run back. Annoying, and would be even worse with 2 car sets.

It's just the drivers being sloppy. In other countries the driver always pulls up to a set mark (usually where the CCTV monitors are), regardless of train length. There are signs painted on the walls of the LA metro indicating whether or not off-peaks trains will reach that point in the platform.

Run_to_da_hills

CIE is starting to decay already.:mad:

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/cie-may-axe-400-jobs-amid-mounting-losses-1550818.html

Judgement Day

It could be argued that CIE has been decaying ever since nationalisation in 1950. Exactly how much money it now loses is unknown due to all sorts of nonsensical accounting, subsidies etc. It appears answerable to nobody and needs to be put of 'our' misery. CIE - Can Ireland Endure -NO!