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Broken Intercom on Irish Rail
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21-12-2017 3:17pm#1
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There's no way of condensing my recent letter to IE, so here it is in full:
CEO Irish Rail,
Connolly Station,
Dublin.1.
17th November, 2017
Re: Dublin/Rosslare Railway
Dear Mr.Franks,
Once again, as with your predecessor, I find myself having to complain about your services on the above route.
Where to start? Perhaps the first frustrating issue is the non-existent waiting facilities at Connolly (Platform.5.). I regularly use the service on a Sunday – the 14.20 ex.Rosslare – which arrives at Connolly at 17.10. It is shut down on arrival at Platform.5. – ostensibly for servicing I presume? However this seems very hit and miss as frequently there’s no water in toilet washbasins on the return journey.
The train remains shut-down at the platform until 10/15 minutes before the return working at 18.30. Sometimes the doors are left open which allows passengers to board and sit in relative comfort, but more often than not they remain locked forcing passengers to stand about on the freezing platform. It’s the sheer inconsistency that’s maddening and anyway it should be possible to allow passengers board as soon as whatever servicing has been done.
The last Sunday that I travelled (22/10/17) the doors were locked and I was unable to board until 18.19, whereas the previous Sunday I was able to board at 17.45.
Anyway, that’s just one aspect of the service that needs attention. Other things that could do with some thought are the way that the train has become a commuter service between Greystones/Bray and Connolly. In the Up Direction this could be lessened by trains serving the Down platform at Bray rather than the Up platform. In the Down direction the removal of Tara Street as a stop would also reduce the overcrowding. Having people blocking the aisles and doorways, standing up against you – even if you’re seated – is surely not part of the ‘inter-city’ product? The trolley service is frequently unable to get through the train for substantial parts of the journey.
The excessive, smug, bilingual announcements – frequently out of sync with locations – are also very annoying and do little to create the relaxing ambience – promoted in your advertising. They were clearly created by somebody in love with the sound of his own voice.
As for the safety and evacuation notices in the vestibules – there are far too many and would only confuse in event of an emergency!
On a more general point, the lack of a printed “all lines” timetable is beyond stupid. You produce one for your staff – therefore the typesetting/design costs are already covered and so why not print more and sell them to the public? Most people are not railway enthusiasts and won’t have a clue of what other places are rail served. What other company would hide its own products from public view?
Years ago I raise this issue with Dick Fearn, back when the printed all line timetable still existed, and I even suggested that IE should include Ads for its other services such as Fastrack, Restaurant na Mara etc….Need I say more as both of the latter are now long gone.
Your stations are like something from East Germany – everything is Verboten – almost every poster is threatening or warning you not to cycle or run on the platform, stand behind the yellow line, keep off the track, report anti-social behaviour, mind the gap etc. not one promoting places to visit by train, bargain offers or anything positive.
Comments offered in the forlorn hope that things will improve.
Yours sincerely,
The reply addressed some of the issues raised but didn't really appear to take anything on board - you be the judge.
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