Hansfield Station opens on Friday 28th June

Murt10

21 June 2013
Hansfield Station, on the M3 Parkway to Dublin line, will open on Friday 28th June.

You can find journey times from the new station to Clonsilla, Docklands, Dublin Connolly and other stations by searching times above, or you can access our printable timetable.

The new station will be served by 45 trains daily, and offers a typical journey time of 25 minutes to/from Docklands Station at peak.

http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4857&ci=6&p=116&n=131

Can't believe it took this long to open, and while I wouldn't be a natural FG voter, I'm sure that having Leo Varadkar as the Minister for Transport, helped.

December2012

What happens on these opening days? Is there a ceremony / ribbon, etc or do the trains just start running with no fanfare?

January

With Hansfield it would probably be best if it was just opened quietly with no fan fare. Sham that it took so long to open.

December2012

December2012 wrote: »

What happens on these opening days? Is there a ceremony / ribbon, etc or do the trains just start running with no fanfare?

Just a compulsory Ghost-Busting! Ghost stations tend to have Ghosts or is it a figure of speech???

Arciphel

Is there any word on the running of feeder buses down the Littlepace road to bring people to the train station, I thought this was going to be part of the plan to get the train used as much as possible? Will be great news for Ongar!

dodzy

Arciphel wrote: »

Is there any word on the running of feeder buses down the Littlepace road to bring people to the train station, I thought this was going to be part of the plan to get the train used as much as possible? Will be great news for Ongar!

I'd say there are realistically 2 hopes of that happening

Larbre34

Oh indeed, no hope and Bob Hope. The market is park and ride, its a walk from Ongar or a 39A from Phibblestown Road

Is it still going to be the situation that, at off peak its just a Shuttle to Clonsilla and on to Connolly then? No point having Hansfield open in the evenings and weekends if so.....

jsabina

can I ask where will be the station?

Larbre34

Access to the station is from the Ongar Link Road, turn off at the roundabout on the south side of Ongar where you can see St Benedicts school, Delhurst and Barnwell. There will be plenty of signposts after tomorrow

ongarboy

Larbre34 wrote: »

Oh indeed, no hope and Bob Hope. The market is park and ride, its a walk from Ongar or a 39A from Phibblestown Road

Is it still going to be the situation that, at off peak its just a Shuttle to Clonsilla and on to Connolly then? No point having Hansfield open in the evenings and weekends if so.....

Unfortunately, for the time being, it seems so. It really is only an attractive option for the direct morning and evening rush hour direct trains. Looking at the timetable for the off peak services, the shuttle drops you at Clonsilla where you wait 7 mins approx for a connecting train from Maynooth. For most people in Ongar, they might as well walk to Clonsilla and get a bit of extra exercise in!

I actually timed it once walking a few years ago when the area wasn't sealed off!!:pac: From roughly the centre of Ongar (near the main green), it took me about 12 minutes to walk to Hansfield (it's further away from the main road then you might realise!) or 18 minutes to walk to Clonsilla station. Allowing for the 7 minute wait after the shuttle drop off, you'd still be leaving your house at the same time (if walking) for either station so no significant benefit. Obviously, Hansfield station is more attractive to use if you live in Barnwell Hansfield. I guess also, for Little Pace residents, Clonsilla was not an option at all (too far to walk) where as Hansfield is.

It will be interesting to see how busy it becomes. Commuters are slow to change habits even when it benefits them. Docklands took ages to get busy as commuters who would have saved many minutes continued to use Connolly for a long time after.

I still welcome the new station as any new infrastructure to the area is a plus!

Arciphel

Does anyone know is the car park in Hansfield free or do you have to pay, I am assuming as with Dunboyne you need to pay.

Larbre34

Arciphel wrote: »

Does anyone know is the car park in Hansfield free or do you have to pay, I am assuming as with Dunboyne you need to pay.

Cant imagine itll be free. Mind you your car would be a lot less secure down the no-mans land at Hansfield than at Clonsilla station where at least there are people passing by all day, dont think ill be changing my habits for now

ongarite

Its open for business this morning since just before 7am.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0628/459355-hansfield-station/

central

I live in Barnwell and I am so annoyed about this. We have no link road to get to the station (even though a MAJOR selling point for the houses was the station). We instead have to walk out of our estate, down the Ongar Road and double back on ourselves to get to the train. I know our resident's committee have done trojan work to get the station opened but as usual there has been another delay on the link road, in my opinion we will have to wait at least another 3 years for the link road, much like we did for the access road!!

I currently get the 70 from Littlepace (I drive to the shops there at LP) because the 39/39a take an age to get to town, approx. 90mins. This train station, while some will find it great, is a total waste of time for others. It would now probably take me longer to get to work using the train with walking to the station and getting off at Ashtown or a station before and waiting for another train to Pearse. I regret buying in Barnwell every day and today in particular

jsabina

But from hansfield where are going the trains?
If I search on irishrail from hansfield to connolly for example I see that I should change in clonsilla!

Captain Chaos

jsabina wrote: »

But from hansfield where are going the trains?
If I search on irishrail from hansfield to connolly for example I see that I should change in clonsilla!

Yeah, they go to Docklands station, no direct service to Drumcondra or Connolly station. You can go to DOcklands and get the Luas to Connolly.

ongarboy

Used the new station today. Very modern and clean station with a grand, imposing set of steps up to it from the front. You get your workout from all the steps up and again the steps inside the station itself! There is on-street parallel parking along about half of the access road which is free (at least for now). It's a fairly long, lonely walk to the main Ongar road though - not sure if women would feel comfortable walking it alone at night. Although, the area is so open and exposed, you would see anyone a mile off.

December2012

I timed the walk at the weekend - with the young in in the stroller I did station to dunnes in 15 minutes.

I like the idea of the bike lockers - 1.45 per week for a secured and covered locker.

Larbre34

ongarboy wrote: »

Used the new station today. Very modern and clean station with a grand, imposing set of steps up to it from the front. You get your workout from all the steps up and again the steps inside the station itself! There is on-street parallel parking along about half of the access road which is free (at least for now). It's a fairly long, lonely walk to the main Ongar road though - not sure if women would feel comfortable walking it alone at night. Although, the area is so open and exposed, you would see anyone a mile off.

I drove it at the weekend when there wasnt a sinner around, I wouldn't feel great walking it myself at night and Im not a small chap.

Murt10

Arciphel wrote: »

Does anyone know is the car park in Hansfield free or do you have to pay, I am assuming as with Dunboyne you need to pay.

No. Dunboyne is free.

Arciphel

Murt10 wrote: »

No. Dunboyne is free.

Are you sure Murt, I am convinced the last time I parked in Dunboyne I had to pay?

eviltwin

Arciphel wrote: »

Are you sure Murt, I am convinced the last time I parked in Dunboyne I had to pay?

I parked in Dunboyne a few weeks back and it was free

robbie000

Dunboyne does charge for parking it says on the irishrail website:

http://www.irishrail.ie/Dunboyne#sa3


Car Park Details:Operator = NCPS
Spaces = 300
Operating Hours: 24hrs
Disabled Parking: Yes
Parkbytext Rates:

• €2 per day
• €8 per week
• €30 per month

Machine Rates: Cash or Credit Card

• €3 per day
• €10 per week
• €30 per month

vibe666

my wife drove in to have a look the other day and said there was only about 20 parking spaces in the whole station!?

Murt10

Arciphel wrote: »

Are you sure Murt, I am convinced the last time I parked in Dunboyne I had to pay?

Sorry, it's the M3 parkway that's free. I thought that they were one and the same.


http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_stations_detail.jsp#sa3


You need to go to travel and station information and then parking and transport links.

Under the last FF government they thought it would be a idea to toll the road first and when commuters had paid the toll, offer them the opportunity to pay for car parking and train fare.

Joined up thinking, it certainly wasn't. Thank you Mr Dempsey! (Former FF gombeen TD for Meath and Minister for Transport) How are you enjoying your massive pension after dropping this country into a massive big hole.

ongarboy

vibe666 wrote: »

my wife drove in to have a look the other day and said there was only about 20 parking spaces in the whole station!?

The IR link says 60 but are owned by Fingal Co Co. I'm sure when I walked by the last day there were only about 20 too or maybe 30 - certainly didn't look like 60!

http://www.irishrail.ie/Hansfield#sa3

ciaran76

ongarboy wrote: »

The IR link says 60 but are owned by Fingal Co Co. I'm sure when I walked by the last day there were only about 20 too or maybe 30 - certainly didn't look like 60!

http://www.irishrail.ie/Hansfield#sa3

I drove into it last night and would have said about 30 parking spots too.

Polar101

Tried the new station yesterday. I guess it's mostly meant for passengers who drive - it's a long walk on the new (fenced) access road, and that only gets you to the roundabout on Ongar road.

I doubt I'll visit Hansfield station again, since I can just use Clonsilla station.

fisherking

What is the point of that station?
I'm not sure what all the fuss was over???

Polar101 wrote: »

Tried the new station yesterday. I guess it's mostly meant for passengers who drive - it's a long walk on the new (fenced) access road, and that only gets you to the roundabout on Ongar road.

I doubt I'll visit Hansfield station again, since I can just use Clonsilla station.

daymobrew

fisherking wrote: »

What is the point of that station?

The Hansfield area is a SDZ (Strategic Development Zone) where there was actually some thought put into how the area was to be developed.

While it does have space allocated for schools and the train station was built early (rather than decades after people move in), the recession meant that the area was not fully developed. If it was, there would be many more houses and apartments close to the station.

December2012

I think the new Educate Together Secondary school is going to be built on the lands between the station and St Joseph's, accessible from the main road from Ongar up to the station.

fisherking

Thanks for that..
Pity the whole plan did not come to fruition

It just seems odd to have another station within a couple of metres of clonsilla station

daymobrew wrote: »

The Hansfield area is a SDZ (Strategic Development Zone) where there was actually some thought put into how the area was to be developed.

While it does have space allocated for schools and the train station was built early (rather than decades after people move in), the recession meant that the area was not fully developed. If it was, there would be many more houses and apartments close to the station.

ongarboy

fisherking wrote: »

Thanks for that..
Pity the whole plan did not come to fruition

It just seems odd to have another station within a couple of metres of clonsilla station

Yes, I really noticed that yesterday when I got off at Hansfield. The Clonsilla platform looked to be only 200 meters or so away. It's ironic that the nearest building of any sort to Hansfield train station.....is another train station... !!

Maybe, when the secondary school is up and running, it will be handy for students living outside the area. I can see the area ultimately being developed for housing in the next 10 years but until then, the station will be under-utilised. First and foremost they need to have a pedestrian path from Barnwell Hansfield as the current blocked access from there is ridiculous.

TskTsk

Has anyone here had a bad experience of parking at Hansfield Station? I drove up there this morning and it was completely deserted, but I was wondering if it's safe to leave my car there during the day while commuting to town. Are there even any security staff there? Cheers.

ongarboy

Saturday's and Sundays would be especially deserted alright but there is typically 30 or so cars parked on a weekday but there are long periods of hours where the station is deserted so is a potential hazard. The problem is you don't have any passing traffic or footfall throughout the day like at Clonsilla that could act as a deterrent. However, I'm not aware of any crime or theft so far.

On a separate note, I've noticed more commuters starting to use Hansfield in recent weeks ( I counted over 30 getting off the 5.25pm train from Docklands the other evening) compared to only a handful a few weeks earlier.

robertxxx

ongarboy wrote: »

Saturday's and Sundays would be especially deserted alright but there is typically 30 or so cars parked on a weekday but there are long periods of hours where the station is deserted so is a potential hazard. The problem is you don't have any passing traffic or footfall throughout the day like at Clonsilla that could act as a deterrent. However, I'm not aware of any crime or theft so far.

On a separate note, I've noticed more commuters starting to use Hansfield in recent weeks ( I counted over 30 getting off the 5.25pm train from Docklands the other evening) compared to only a handful a few weeks earlier.

Maybe because of the free parking!

ongarboy

robertxxx wrote: »

Maybe because of the free parking!

Definitely an incentive. When you think about it, a tenner on parking alone a week in Clonsilla x by 48 typical working weeks a year is €480 per annum. That's almost as expensive as an annual taxsaver shorthop rail pass if you're on the 41% tax bracket. Crazy!

robertxxx

Spot on, that's why I walk to station or cycle into work these days.

Clonsilla did/does have its fair share of car robbery 's.

I remember one Friday afternoon when there was free parking, I seen some scummer looking into a car at the top of the road and I decided to wait in mine to see what happened. He checked every car door, banger or not to see if it was open, he skipped mine at the last second when he seen me it, he then packed it it as it was around 4:15pm. I called the cops and a f'ing helicopter and cars came, and I pointed the scummer out to them.

Excuse the grammar, I'm in bed after a few.