Irish Rail Discount from Rail Users Ireland

dowlingm

lxflyer - Clearly a revenue service change would have been planned for some time (unless it's on a line served by a Minister) and IE could have found a way to express that they might do something in the future without necessarily overpromising and then having to delay when expected sets were not able to be put in traffic. I heard the interview myself, instead the idea was portrayed as basically barmy.

LXFlyer

Perhaps, but at that time quite frankly the RUI spokesman was at his most patronising and was pretty ignorant in his general approach.

I'm not really surprised at the IE reaction.

The point is he was wrong (and not for the first or last time) - the train did NOT operate every day and the only way it could was when additional sets were commissioned. Of course he never admitted that.

dowlingm

lxflyer wrote: »

Perhaps, but at that time quite frankly the RUI spokesman was at his most patronising and was pretty ignorant in his general approach.

I'm not really surprised at the IE reaction.

Two wrongs don't make a right. Also: the RUI guy did that interview in his spare time, the IE gal did it from a salary. Being less than polished and reaching for hyperbole is stock in trade for advocacy groups not directly funded by the State, IBEC or ICTU.

lxflyer wrote: »

The point is he was wrong (and not for the first or last time) - the train did NOT operate every day and the only way it could was when additional sets were commissioned. Of course he never admitted that.

And he should have - BUT IE compared to many other operators operates in an information vacuum. So much of what we discuss on this board is rumour, hearsay, scattered sightings by spotters and so on. If IE had a policy of engagement rather than hiding from FOI and overusing "commercial confidentiality" perhaps IE customers and those who pay the taxes that fund the subsidy might not have to operate with one eye blindfolded.

Feck it - I started off criticising RUI and now you have me defending them!

Victor

lxflyer wrote: »

Perhaps, but at that time quite frankly the RUI spokesman was at his most patronising and was pretty ignorant in his general approach.

In fairness, Ms. Cregan can be patronising and insulting enough herself.

Before I joined RUI, I was at a public consultation and she furiously demanded to know "Why are you railway people here?"

It may have escaped her that she works for a railway company.

LXFlyer

Well Victor I'm not personalising this by naming individuals, but I think that you might agree that a more constructive approach tends to yield results than constantly sniping as was the old approach. Yes it is quite right to criticise, but I do think that a lobby group such as RUI needs to do that in a constructive manner, which is something they do appear to be doing more often these days.

dowlingm

I doubt there's much more constructive to say on that so I'm not going to add to my comments above.

However, could I perhaps suggest to the Mods that the moribund Concerts/Events sticky be modified to Events and Discounts, since that might help keep it better updated and get people like flickflock some money off?

popebenny16

Judgement Day wrote: »

RUI are like the Irish Railway Record Society, Save the Whale etc. - totally emasculated by CIE. The top dog there is probably hoping to replace Barry Kenny. :rolleyes:

lxflyer wrote: »

Any lobby group should be providing constructive criticism of the service and working with the operators concerned. Becoming altogether antagonistic does no one any favours. A certain element of diplomacy generally delivers more. This is a balance that frankly RUI don't always manage.

Damned if you do, damned if you dont.

Maybe next year we'll go back to attacking everything then ye can swap sides once more.

Judgement Day

I'd love to reply but I'm not falling for this stalking horse as too many mods have me in their sights - emasculated that's me.

popebenny16

Judgement Day wrote: »

Thanks for the invite but I've been there, done that so I'll settle for sniping from behind my keyboard. Nothing personal - I'm sure that you're a well meaning individual but perhaps one day you'll see the light.

obi-wan kenobi, you were my only hope.

lxflyer wrote: »

What is the obsession with knocking this organisation? Frankly it baffles me.

They are not a lobby group (despite what some people think they ought to be) and never have been. They are an historical society, and the hint regarding their purpose is in the name (the word "record" being particularly appropriate).

So what if they charter specials to mark the demise of a particular class of rolling stock/line? The fact that the rolling stock is being withdrawn or the lines closed is hardly their fault?

Some of the comments on this board in this regard seem to be vitriolic and completely over the top, while others seem to have personal agendas against the IRRS. It is a rather sad state of affairs when people get worked up about this. Frankly they would be better off focussing on the real issues facing public transport in Ireland.

IRRS dont figure on my agenda, apart from the little things like how I can be sitting across the table from senior IE managment, ask them why they arent running Mark3 trains (as discussed in the 22ks on the cork line thread), to be told flatly that the mark3 stock is kaput, isnt safe to be used anymore and for a mark3 to run would involve such massive administration and safety work that it was impossible.

A week later the IRRS ran a mark3 all over the country and on the WRC.

Things like that.