Frequent Delays on Maynooth/Docklands line

beauf

Seems like every journey now has a 5-10 min delay due to "congestion on the line". I assume this is the result of the Phoenix park trains on the line?

L1011

Trains to docklands do not interface with PPT services.

Connolly on the other hand is a mess since they started. If the 10 minute dart hadn't been postponed due to the strike I suspect there'd be nothing running at all!

beauf

Well they keep announcing the train is delayed waiting for the line to clear, and it has to be because the Maynooth or Sligo train line hasn't cleared the line ahead and I assume that's due to the PPT. because it only started since then. So while they do not "interface" one is having an impact on the other. Unless of course there is some other issue with the line that has happened coincidentally since the PPT introduction.

n97 mini

There is a domino effect going on. Even the Sligo trains are running late.

Infini

Its to be expected since even before it started connolly was already known to be pushed to capacity. It probably wouldve been better using docklands instead but that would've required putting in a X crossover at griffith junction.

beauf

Don't ruin the dockland please. Its a nice service even with the short delay.

XPS_Zero

Everything's trying to ram through one chokehold

We had some kinda plan to fix this something about an underground section and whatnot, must have been a dream

n97 mini

beauf wrote: »

Don't ruin the dockland please. Its a nice service even with the short delay.

No services outside of peak hours and at weekends.

The world's most under-utilised city centre station if there ever was one. Plenty of scope for expansion, even without "ruining" it for you.

lucernarian

L1011 wrote: »

Trains to docklands do not interface with PPT services.

Connolly on the other hand is a mess since they started. If the 10 minute dart hadn't been postponed due to the strike I suspect there'd be nothing running at all!

I suppose the driver on the 7.10 ex M3 Parkway yesterday, was just fibbing? The guy explicitly mentioned the Phoenix Park tunnel services as the cause of that delay.

beauf

I think we can assume it's other services impacting on the route. What are the plans to resolve this?

Keyzer

We're sorry to anonounce the "insert random train" has been delayed due to "insert random reason".

Reason bank:

T-rex on the line in Zimbabwe
Snails on the line
The driver is dead
We don't give a fúck

L1011

lucernarian wrote: »

I suppose the driver on the 7.10 ex M3 Parkway yesterday, was just fibbing? The guy explicitly mentioned the Phoenix Park tunnel services as the cause of that delay.

Possibly.

It would require another non docklands service to be blocking that itself was delayed due to the PPT service.

n97 mini

lucernarian wrote: »

I suppose the driver on the 7.10 ex M3 Parkway yesterday, was just fibbing? The guy explicitly mentioned the Phoenix Park tunnel services as the cause of that delay.

The PPT is lazily being used as a catch-all. The late departure of the 12.20am (yes, am) Maynooth service was being blamed on the PPT when I got it last week.

Jamie2k9

Lots of drivers just make up an excuse, for minor issues they are just as unaware as the passenger.

beauf

Well the train used never stop, now it does stop for 5-10 somewhere on every journey.

Very like the Connolly train when it stops for ages waiting to get a slot to get into Connelly.

But the Docklands train seems to do it in either direction.

Jamie2k9

beauf wrote: »

Well the train used never stop, now it does stop for 5-10 somewhere on every journey.

Very like the Connolly train when it stops for ages waiting to get a slot to get into Connelly.

But the Docklands train seems to do it in either direction.

The PPT may be having a small impact but you can be certain it all stems from poor DART Performance.

beauf

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

The PPT may be having a small impact but you can be certain it all stems from poor DART Performance.

Its also on way out of town. So it can't be waiting on the Dart then.

Jamie2k9

beauf wrote: »

Its also on way out of town. So it can't be waiting on the Dart then.

It may be out of town but if x services is delayed between GCD-Connolly by more than 2-3 minutes it has a has a knock on affect quickly out of town. Eg a Maynooth bound train that's a little late will get cleared before they allow a Docklands train cross onto the canal route.

beauf

That doesn't explain why its only recently been a problem.

Infini

beauf wrote: »

That doesn't explain why its only recently been a problem.

Adding more trains ate into an already tight timing with the trains through connolly. Fact it takes is one train running late at rush hour for whatever reason and it causes a chain reaction as it ends up delaying EVERYTHING since trains have to enter sidings in the right order in order not to block one another up. Its capacity issues with connolly.

beauf

Capacity in Connolly has always been a problem and causes delays for those trains. It never impacted the Docklands before. The only extra trains are the PPS. Unless the Dart has changed or something else on that line.

Infini

beauf wrote: »

Capacity in Connolly has always been a problem and causes delays for those trains. It never impacted the Docklands before. The only extra trains are the PPS. Unless the Dart has changed or something else on that line.

It didnt affect docklands up to now only because it was maynooths and sligos on the line. Remember both maynooth and sligo services AND ppt run on the same section between griffith junction and north strand. Thats where your delays start because you now have extra trains in that section including empty sets goung from heuston to gcd. These occupy the combined section and block the regular maynooth/sligos from getting across griffith jct leading to delays.

Edit: while its possible for maynooths to go down the other section this causes then to miss drumcondra and the only way to connolly is onto platform 7 only this would affect northbound darts even more.

Jamie2k9

beauf wrote: »

Capacity in Connolly has always been a problem and causes delays for those trains. It never impacted the Docklands before. The only extra trains are the PPS. Unless the Dart has changed or something else on that line.

Extra Trains = More Noticeable Disruption, that before. The problems have not changed but the recovery time has.

I say get used to it as you have a 10 minute DART coming!

Infini

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

I say get used to it as you have a 10 minute DART coming!

I honestly dont see this happening myself. The PPT additions just prove the point about connolly being too overloaded atm. Even taking the current drivers opposition into account theres just not enough room for more trains without a triple or quadtracking of Connolly to Clongriffin and removal of the 5 level crossing between lansdowne and merrion. Also alot of crossovers would need to be added/readded to the southern dart line section as that section is notorious for delays when a train fails or something happens.

Jamie2k9

Infini2 wrote: »

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

I say get used to it as you have a 10 minute DART coming!

I honestly dont see this happening myself. The PPT additions just prove the point about connolly being too overloaded atm. Even taking the current drivers opposition into account theres just not enough room for more trains without a triple or quadtracking of Connolly to Clongriffin and removal of the 5 level crossing between lansdowne and merrion. Also alot of crossovers would need to be added/readded to the southern dart line section as that section is notorious for delays when a train fails or something happens.

Would hope it doesn't but IE and Lodgic is another debate.....

beauf

Infini2 wrote: »

It didnt affect docklands up to now only because it was maynooths and sligos on the line. Remember both maynooth and sligo services AND ppt run on the same section between griffith junction and north strand. Thats where your delays start because you now have extra trains in that section including empty sets goung from heuston to gcd. These occupy the combined section and block the regular maynooth/sligos from getting across griffith jct leading to delays.

Edit: while its possible for maynooths to go down the other section this causes then to miss drumcondra and the only way to connolly is onto platform 7 only this would affect northbound darts even more.

That would seem to explain it. Seemed to a lot of excuses how its not the PPT having a knock on effect. It's the straw on the camel's back. The camel being Connolly.

It seems odd that one line is getting 10 minute frequency the other far less frequent is getting journey time increased. I know why the Dart is favoured, but still.

L1011

Were there not more DARTs than now in 2006-8ish?

Jamie2k9

L1011 wrote: »

Were there not more DARTs than now in 2006-8ish?

Yes a few extra at peak hours. You could return them without major issue but a full 10 minute will just make a mess.

Infini

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Yes a few extra at peak hours. You could return them without major issue but a full 10 minute will just make a mess.

Far as I'm concerned 10 min services are putting the cart before the horse as well. Not all rush hour services are even 8 car sets theyre 6 or even one or are 4 car. The heavy rail in Dublin needs serious investment not some unworkable 10 min service. DU wouldve been a major help as it would have turned one Dart line with a split end into 2 seperate lines and converted the maynooth and kildare lines from commuter to dart. Government bottled this for some cheap metro which IMO was stupid in the extreme as DU would have had a much more widespread effect and inprovement in Dublin overall rather than some glorified tram only affecting part of north dublin.

1huge1

Was all this resignalling work that has been going on the past couple of years not supposed to increase the amount of trains per hour than can go through the Loop line bridge, why has this not improved the service, or is it not finished yet?

Infini

The connolly to killester section hasnt been done yet. As for extra trains per hour the problem isnt that you can run more trains its that if more trains are there and one is delayed it snowballs quickly as theres little to no reserve capacity (ie space between trains to allieviate this). Ultimately if you run more trains all it takes is one having a problem to stop everything.