Has the free wi-fi on all Cork-Dublin trains started yet?

jayteecork

I hear they had a successful trial but I don't know if they have fully implemented the service on all carriers.

Just wondering as I'm going to Dublin tomorrow and unsure as to whether I should bring my laptop.

I travel on Cork-Dublin and Limerick-Dublin trains regularly at weekends, and have yet to come across a train with wifi over the past few months. I have a Window's phone which is programmed to pick up wifi when networks are available, but none have so far....perhaps I'm just not on the right trains!!!!
If you have a mobile broadband USB you could use it with your laptop.

jayteecork

Actually got rid of my usb dongle.

I just realised anyway that the battery is ****ed on my laptop - only lasts about 30 mins without being plugged in.

I'll bring my android phone anyway just in case I can pick up something.

Yeah your Android phone will pick up wifi if available. Just letting you know also that many of the seats on these new trains have socket points beside them, so it's handy you can plug in your charger if your laptop has a poor battery whether using it for wifi if available or watching a DVD. Also handy if you need to charge your phone

Snow Leopard

Wi-Fi currently unavailable pending completion of tender for the full MK4 fleet. Should be available on all MK4 Cork/Dublin services within a month or two. No decision has been taken in relation to offering Wi-Fi on other intercity routes yet.

foggy_lad

Deleted User wrote: »

many of the seats on these new trains have socket points beside them, so it's handy you can plug in your charger if your laptop has a poor battery whether using it for wifi if available or watching a DVD. Also handy if you need to charge your phone

This is not the case on the cork trains, there is only one socket at the luggage racks which is just about inaccessible to most people because of It's location.

CaptainSkidmark

ive traveled to and from mallow-dublin god knows how many times over the last few weeks and ive yet to come across it!

handy on the 6.30 DMU train from cork- dublin, it has a socket under each table

foggy_lad

Somehow in the current climate I can see this too little too late project being shelved by Irish rail to save on costs as contrary to what they believe nobody would be prepared to pay for whatever shabby service they would end up providing.

Dodge

foggy_lad wrote: »

Somehow in the current climate I can see this too little too late project being shelved by Irish rail to save on costs as contrary to what they believe nobody would be prepared to pay for whatever shabby service they would end up providing.

Well at least you're not prejudging it

jayteecork

Was definitely no wi-fi on the Cork Dublin train, just the usual crazy people, crying babies, used nappies left on sink in toilet, religious fanatics onway to retreat, oversold, etc etc.

Judgement Day

Dodge wrote: »

Well at least you're not prejudging it

I think Foggy is quite right in his prejudging as there is no evidence of CIE/IE ever keeping up standards - of anything - unless you know better?

Dodge

Nope, no clue.

I hope it works well for people and I'll wait until its out before slamming their 'shabby' wifi service

foggy_lad

It is a mobile broadband service so will be unavailable for at least half the journey and for the rest it may be working in your carriage or it may not, it will be a lottery as is the usual Irish Rail thing.

CaptainSkidmark

it works fine on the Aircoach so i cant see how it would be shabby.

I taught it was to be a free service?

Run_to_da_hills

Unless you are using a long battery life net book or smart phone the MK4's are not much good with just a single 240v power socket at the end of each carriage.

It would be a smarter move to roll out this service on the more superior 22'000's

foggy_lad

CaptainSkidmark wrote: »

it works fine on the Aircoach so i cant see how it would be shabby.

I taught it was to be a free service?

the difference is that the train travels through mostly uninhabited countryside where there are fewer masts and more mobile blackspots than when travelling alone one of the country''s main arteries.

dowlingm

CaptainSkidmark wrote: »

it works fine on the Aircoach so i cant see how it would be shabby

I've only gone on Aircoach once but I found coverage quite patchy.

crazypanda

CaptainSkidmark wrote: »

I taught it was to be a free service?

I thought it was going to be too? I'm sure when they announced it the word free was definitely mentioned cause I was rather sceptical.

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Unless you are using a long battery life net book or smart phone the MK4's are not much good with just a single 240v power socket at the end of each carriage.

There is actually a socket?! Where exactly? I gave up on the cork-dublin trains and waited until I get on my connecting to train which does have plugs by every seat!

foggy_lad

crazypanda wrote: »

I thought it was going to be too? I'm sure when they announced it the word free was definitely mentioned cause I was rather sceptical.


There is actually a socket?! Where exactly? I gave up on the cork-dublin trains and waited until I get on my connecting to train which does have plugs by every seat!

The socket is down behind the seats that are up against the luggage racks, you may need to get down on your knees to use it. There was a WiFi signal on the Cork-Dublin train last night but after connecting to it there was no internet available:(

crazypanda

foggy_lad wrote: »

The socket is down behind the seats that are up against the luggage racks, you may need to get down on your knees to use it. There was a WiFi signal on the Cork-Dublin train last night but after connecting to it there was no internet available:(

I must have a look during the week. Would really make the trip more productive if my laptop was available, even without wifi. It's scandalous that in this day and age there's not even proper plugs or wifi which you can get in other countries and even planes now!

bk

Couple of points.

There seems to be a locked wifi signal on most Cork to Dublin trains which I believe is only for staff/operations use.

IrishRail trialled both free and paid wifi on Cork to Dublin trains a few months ago, but he trial has now ended and the services discontinued.

IrishRail has put out a tender for a wifi for the train services now after the trial.

Don't know if it will be free or not.

Seems the RPA is now looking to rollout free wifi on all Luas, so now it will be VERY embarrassing if IrishRail charge for their wifi.

The wifi actually worked very well when I tried it on the Cork to Dublin trains (only tried the free version obviously). Good strong signal throughout most of the journey. Obviously youtube didn't work very well, but pretty good for surfing, email, etc. Remember, they use large powered 3G antennas on the roof of the carriages, so they can hold onto the 3G signal much better then your mobile phone, 3G dongle, etc.

dowlingm

The Cork-Dublin train doesn't compete with the LUAS, to be fair. If RPA gave away free sandwiches on the LUAS would RailGourmet be obliged to do likewise?

bk

dowlingm wrote: »

The Cork-Dublin train doesn't compete with the LUAS, to be fair. If RPA gave away free sandwiches on the LUAS would RailGourmet be obliged to do likewise?

No, but the Cork-Dublin train does compete with the new motorway, which is both cheaper and faster.

The one (only) competitive advantage that the train has is people can play and work on the train. So yes, they should have both free wifi and electricity points at every seat, to justify the €74 return ticket price.

And don't forget, it is probably only a matter of time until a direct Cork to Dublin express bus route starts on the motorway. This will directly compete with the train and free wifi seems to be the increasing norm on the intercity bus routes.

dowlingm

I've no specific objection to wifi on the train as long as it is guaranteed to cover its costs including any works IE do to their sets to accommodate it including a realistic sum covering reduced failure consequences arising from on-line telemetry (i.e. if a predicted failure allows a train to stop in a siding rather than be trapped in mid-section with resulting lower knock-on impacts and so on)