Irish Rail real time lies

xper

So here I am in Bray about to set out on a 15 minute walk to the DART station to head home. I check the real time info on the Irish Rail app and see a north bound train that i should make comfortably among many others listed.
Normally at this point I would put the phone in my pocket and set off. But tonight I need to check the cash fare because I have accidentally left my Leap Card at home today (another story), so i go on over to irishrail.ie in my browser and what do i find? ...

A big prominent alert saying that DART services are suspended between Dun Laoghaire and Bray due to damage to overhead lines. Well, bummer, **** happens. But why the hell is this alert not visible on the app and why is the app's so called "live trains" showing departures and arrivals in Bray as if service is continuing as normal? TfI's real Time is also showing Bray arrivals and departures but on the irishrail.ie live map there are clearly no trains running south of Dun Laoghaire.

Seriously, wtf?

devnull

If there is no live information on a train it goes by schedule which is really irritating

CaoimheSquee

Try working late from town and getting to Grand Canal to find out that you have no way home to Greystones!
Dublin bus accepting tickets doesn't really work when there is no bus to Greystones after 6.30.
Absolute NIGHTMARE.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

CaoimheSquee wrote: »

Try working late from town and getting to Grand Canal to find out that you have no way home to Greystones!
Dublin bus accepting tickets doesn't really work when there is no bus to Greystones after 6.30.
Absolute NIGHTMARE.

An 84 from bray dart station.... the last one is around 23:55 too.

In this case you get the bus from Blackrock. Same one 84.

LXFlyer

CaoimheSquee wrote: »

Try working late from town and getting to Grand Canal to find out that you have no way home to Greystones!
Dublin bus accepting tickets doesn't really work when there is no bus to Greystones after 6.30.
Absolute NIGHTMARE.

While not excusing the issues with the app, to say that there are no buses is taking the proverbial a bit.

Ok there's no direct bus, but you could still catch a 145 to Bray and then either 84 or 184 to Greystones. Not ideal compared with a direct train, but it's not exactly a "nightmare".

CaoimheSquee

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

An 84 from bray dart station.... the last one is around 23:55 too.

In this case you get the bus from Blackrock. Same one 84.

Do you know how irregular that bus is?
It means bus to Bray and then wait for a bus from bray dart station. You can be lucky or this could take about 2 hours. This bus stop is notorious for being a black hole when it comes ot buses. The App NEVER has correct times. I get buses from this stop every day.

Dart to Blackrock and wait for 84, if you miss one this will be at least an hour wait and then a very long journey home once on it.

An alternative and direct route should have been provided. End of.

CaoimheSquee

lxflyer wrote: »

While not excusing the issues with the app, to say that there are no buses is taking the proverbial a bit.

Ok there's no direct bus, but you could still catch a 145 to Bray and then either 84 or 184 to Greystones. Not ideal compared with a direct train, but it's not exactly a "nightmare".

Are you serious?
I am not bothered too much by the app, that is the least of the publics worries. A functioning public travel service is what is needed where they actually give a **** about their customers.
You have no clue dude in this instance.

If the 84 even went every 30 minutes or there was anotehr bus from town that was even every hour that would have been fine.
Irish rail effectively left people stranded and that is it. An alternative trip on 2 -3 buses that go every hour or so and is up to luck if you can match them up is not acceptable. Nor is making people fork out for expensive taxis.

It was indeed a nightmare and a complete and utter joke.

howiya

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

An 84 from bray dart station.... the last one is around 23:55 too.

In this case you get the bus from Blackrock. Same one 84.

One bus an hour... Obviously the OP was wrong to suggest there was no buses but a quick look at the Dart timetable will show that each bus leaves just before a train arrives. Could be looking at an hour wait if you finish work at the wrong time.

People make plans based on these apps. It is obviously somebody's job to keep them up to date. That's all people like me who have regular complaints about Dublin Bus' RTPI want

LXFlyer

CaoimheSquee wrote: »

Are you serious?
You have no clue dude.

It's either a journey of anything up to 2 and half hours. VERY long waits on extremely irregular buses or paying out for an expensive taxis.

It was indeed a nightmare and a complete and utter joke.

First off - no need to be insulting.

Secondly you said there were no buses - I'm pointing out that is not true.

Thirdly as I don't drive and I use the bus every single day I do actually have a clue.

The 145 is every 10 minutes until 21:00 so I don't see how you can say it's extremely irregular. That should take about 45-50 minutes to get to Bray.

I'll accept that the 84 and 184 aren't that frequent and that you'd have waiting time in Bray, but with the real time information apps for the buses it's reasonably easy to plan a connection.

I certainly wouldn't have advised going to Blackrock for an 84, but rather the 145 to Bray where between the two routes there are a minimum of two buses an hour to Greystones which is the same as the DART.

Bizarrely enough things can and do go wrong with anything in life - a fault with the overhead lines could be down to vandalism or a variety of reasons.

CaoimheSquee

And an alternative route should have been provided.

I never said the 145 was irregular. The 184 and 84 make up for that all on their own.

howiya

CaoimheSquee wrote: »

And an alternative route should have been provided.

It's all very well saying an alternative should have been provided but damaged lines aren't planned. Where do you get buses and bus drivers from at short notice?

The reality is the buses to Greystones are infrequent because nobody uses them

LXFlyer

howiya wrote: »

It's all very well saying an alternative should have been provided but damaged lines aren't planned. Where do you get buses and bus drivers from at short notice?

The reality is the buses to Greystones are infrequent because nobody uses them

I wouldn't go so far as to say no one uses them - they do, but there isn't a need normally in the evenings for a higher frequency.

ballyargus

at the time of the incident getting an 84 meant a 1hr wait in blackrock followed by the journey itself. Getting to Bray from Grand Canal at that hour meant a 20-25 min walk to a 145 stop followed by anything up to an hour on the 145. Then a hail mary of a connection in Bray.

Greystones, Kilcoole & Newcastle are all poorly served by Dublin Bus.

No fault of Irish Rail for having damaged lines but they could have alerted users on their app or at least highlighted that trains were terminating at Dun Laoghaire

beauf

Its the same with the maynooth rail line. If theres an issue it can take an age before they give official notification there is a problem. So you can make alternative arrangements.

devnull

I think nobody is disputing that Irish Rail handle disruption badly, that is my experience too, but there are options for people in Greystones, even if they are not ideal.

There just isn't the demand for the frequency you seem to be looking for in addition to the DART, especially considering the costs of operating a service as far out as Greystones.

ballyargus

devnull wrote: »

I think nobody is disputing that Irish Rail handle disruption badly, that is my experience too, but there are options for people in Greystones, even if they are not ideal.

There just isn't the demand for the frequency you seem to be looking for in addition to the DART, especially considering the costs of operating a service as far out as Greystones.

The option was a taxi or approximately another 2 hrs to get back there.

An option. But very far from reasonable.

LXFlyer

ballyargus wrote: »

The option was a taxi or approximately another 2 hrs to get back there.

An option. But very far from reasonable.

Let me put it like this - what sort of bus service do you think should be there, in the normal course of events, given that the DART is there (assume it's working)?

And more to the point would it be used?

ballyargus

the 84x service is heavily used and should be extended in service up until 8 or 9pm. On the hour or every half hour. If you used the service you would see the demand for it. Many commuters can't even get on the regular services that run until 6.30pm

beauf

lxflyer wrote: »

Let me put it like this - what sort of bus service do you think should be there...

I give you the super bus

http://dubaimetro.eu/featured/11182/the-worlds-fastest-bus-service-meet-the-250-kmh-superbus

ballyargus

beauf wrote: »

I give you the super bus

http://dubaimetro.eu/featured/11182/the-worlds-fastest-bus-service-meet-the-250-kmh-superbus

I like it but what about this bad boy? The Straddling Bus

LXFlyer

ballyargus wrote: »

the 84x service is heavily used and should be extended in service up until 8 or 9pm. On the hour or every half hour. If you used the service you would see the demand for it. Many commuters can't even get on the regular services that run until 6.30pm

Firstly I am well aware that the 84x is well used.

Have you got onto the NTA to ask for more services?

They're the ones calling the shots on this, and you need to lobby them to increase the service if it's not sufficient.

But again (and I'm playing devil's advocate here), would people use the 84X over the DART, assuming the DART is running ok? That's how the NTA would look at this.

schemingbohemia

There isn't the money to have two similarly serviced routes to Greystones on the off-chance that it will prove value for money on the rare occasions when the DART isn't running. That is the be all and end all of it.
Irish Rail's communications strategy when things go wrong are a different matter.

Louche Lad

ballyargus wrote: »

I like it but what about this bad boy? The Straddling Bus

Interesting.

Actually being built according to this: http://nextbigfuture.com/2016/05/full-scale-straddle-bus-has-been-built.html

ballyargus

lxflyer wrote: »

Firstly I am well aware that the 84x is well used.

Have you got onto the NTA to ask for more services?

They're the ones calling the shots on this, and you need to lobby them to increase the service if it's not sufficient.

But again (and I'm playing devil's advocate here), would people use the 84X over the DART, assuming the DART is running ok? That's how the NTA would look at this.

I've written to Simon Harris who, in turn, has written back:

"
Many thanks for your message and for taking the time to contact me and to make me aware of the thread regarding the 84X bus service.

I appreciate it.

I am eager to help in any way that I can in improving the service, frequency, etc.

I will now write to Dublin Bus on this matter.

Please be assured of my ongoing efforts and do please keep in touch.

Best wishes.

Kind Regards,

Simon"

All we can do is complain and hope that things improve.

ballyargus

The 84X serves kilcoole and newcastle and parts of Greystones and Bray that are not easily accessed by other services. So yeah, I think people would use it over the Dart if it were available

plodder

devnull wrote: »

If there is no live information on a train it goes by schedule which is really irritating

So, what appeared to be a useful service is now rendered useless. You have to marvel at the mentality that thought that was a good idea.

LXFlyer

ballyargus wrote: »

I've written to Simon Harris who, in turn, has written back:

"
Many thanks for your message and for taking the time to contact me and to make me aware of the thread regarding the 84X bus service.

I appreciate it.

I am eager to help in any way that I can in improving the service, frequency, etc.

I will now write to Dublin Bus on this matter.

Please be assured of my ongoing efforts and do please keep in touch.

Best wishes.

Kind Regards,

Simon"

All we can do is complain and hope that things improve.

I would contact the NTA directly as well.

xper

ballyargus wrote: »

I've written to Simon Harris who, in turn, has written back:

"
Many thanks for your message and for taking the time to contact me and to make me aware of the thread regarding the 84X bus service.

I appreciate it.

I am eager to help in any way that I can in improving the service, frequency, etc.

I will now write to Dublin Bus on this matter.

Please be assured of my ongoing efforts and do please keep in touch.

Best wishes.

Kind Regards,

Simon"

All we can do is complain and hope that things improve.

You realise it was Harris who led the campaign against the initial Network Direct proposal to make the 84 route a 30 minute frequency service connecting Greystones to the DART at Bray, the 10-minute frequency 145 service to the city and the Luas at Cherrywood. But no, he didn't want his student pals having to change bus to get to college. Populist gob****tery at its finest, he will indeed go far.