Atrocious service from Kildare since time-table change

pburns

I usually travel from Kildare station to get into Dublin city centre around 9 or a little later.

Before this month that wasn’t a problem. I’d be coming into work an hour after getting on the train in Kildare. <45mins on the train, onto the Luas, office.

However with the new timetable changes:
- If I’m running late I’m screwed. Now a full 35 mins to wait for a train if I miss the 8.10. And the 8.45 is a commuter service which stops at every stop.
- The 7.59 stops three times and most maddening of all, I have had to wait on platform clearance outside Heuston EVERY morning for the last 10 days. This can vary between 5 to (on one occasion) 15 mins.
- Basically, the train journey to Heuston has recently been taking me as long as the full trip into the city centre was taking me a few weeks ago…
- This morning they had a shortened train (budget cutbacks) and even paasangers who got on before Kildare were standing.

What the hell is happening? A colleague of mine who pays weekly has started to drive up to the Luas in preference to this crap service. Unless things improve I’ll be doing the same early next year when my annual renewal is due…

Cookie_Monster

Welcome to the madness that is the new timetable

A lot of similar stories on here regarding every line.
How did they manage to get it so so wrong

kormak

glad to see it's not just Northern Rail commuters affected.
sorry pburns!
Irish Rail sort yourselves out...

penexpers

I commute from Newbridge and there hasn't been any great change in the timetable. If anything, it's a little bit better. There's a couple more trains (including one between 8pm and 10pm which was sorely missing), there's more direct Heuston - Newbridge services. And all the 29k commuter trains have been replaced by 22k trains.

It's true that the timekeeping hasn't really improved, but in my experience it's no worse than previously. It should get better once the temporary speed restrictions down the country are lifted and once they design a timetable around the four tracking between Hazelhatch and Park West.

And I wouldn't blame the short train on budget cutbacks, it's possible a six-coach 22k wasn't available or a six-coach 22k failed.

Sponge Bob

They are looking for €4bn for the interconnector project and want to get everybody lobbying on their behalf.

If the poxy trains were plentiful and ran on time then they would have to answer really awkward questions like.

"Why do you need this money sure nobody is asking for more trains or better timetables?"

Kingdom

I've found the new timetable to be an improvement. Travelling from Portarlington, we are badly missing a train between 7.54 and 9.45, and a couple do pass through. The additional changes to Port from Heuston is welcome (I'm a shift worker and if I'm a few mins late leaving for the home, the consequences ain't funny.)

I'd only have three requests :

1) A new train between 7.54 & 9.45 (to Heuston)
2) A new train between 3.25 and 5.10 (to Port)
3) A new train at the end of the night - extend the 11.10 to Portlaoise.

That would be my wishlist.

T Corolla

pburns wrote: »

I usually travel from Kildare station to get into Dublin city centre around 9 or a little later.

Before this month that wasn’t a problem. I’d be coming into work an hour after getting on the train in Kildare. <45mins on the train, onto the Luas, office.

However with the new timetable changes:
- If I’m running late I’m screwed. Now a full 35 mins to wait for a train if I miss the 8.10. And the 8.45 is a commuter service which stops at every stop.
- The 7.59 stops three times and most maddening of all, I have had to wait on platform clearance outside Heuston EVERY morning for the last 10 days. This can vary between 5 to (on one occasion) 15 mins.
- Basically, the train journey to Heuston has recently been taking me as long as the full trip into the city centre was taking me a few weeks ago…
- This morning they had a shortened train (budget cutbacks) and even paasangers who got on before Kildare were standing.

What the hell is happening? A colleague of mine who pays weekly has started to drive up to the Luas in preference to this crap service. Unless things improve I’ll be doing the same early next year when my annual renewal is due…

In all fairness you dont have the worst service. I commute from Mullingar and if I miss the first train at 6:15 the next one is 6:50. You cannot expect to provide a train service similar to that of a Luas services with trains every 5 -10 mins. It would cost billions. I welcome the extra Longford- Connolly services I have to get up 15 mins earlier but I am guarnteed to be on time for work.

Victor

Most services have a lot of extra time added to the last section of the journey. So while Cork-Mallow is scheduled for about 22 minutes, Mallow-Cork is scheduled for about 35 minutes, despite being an easier journey. This results in intermediate departures being at best on time and often slightly late. However arrivals are, according to the schedule, on time.