Constant delays on Intercity trains

Genghis

I am daily user of intercity services, and I generally find they run mostly to time.

Certainly departures from Heuston are rarely delayed, on my inbound I do experience regular short (up to 5 min) delays , but usually recover and arrive into Heuston close to schedule.

All that said, this thread has got me wondering when the last time it was that Irish Rail put up their punctuality and reliability stats.

For a number of years you would see posters, updated on a 4 week cycle, that showed punctuality and reliability by route. Its maybe 2 or more years thinking back that I last seen these.

Possibly signalling a lower priority on punctuality.

Grandeeod

Working class heroes wrote: »

If you don’t like what’s posted you can choose to ignore “this part of boards”

Anyway i’ll assume you are addressing me re defending CIE/IE.
Just to put you at ease i’ll Call bullsh1te on any comment I see here, don’t care if it’s pro or against CIE/IE. Feel free to check out my posts. I have a dislike of certain elements of how IE is run. I also detest unions.

I hope that clears up my position on things.

Please note I never said I didn't like what's posted and please note the smileys in my post. Furthermore don't assume I was addressing you. It was more about the collective than the individual.

Wanderer78

I've a bit of copper for sale here folks, just been landed with it, it's fairly hot though, so its gotta go quick!

Working class heroes

Wanderer78 wrote: »

I've a bit of copper for sale here folks, just been landed with it, it's fairly hot though, so its gotta go quick!

You sure it’s not fiber optic, boss.

Working class heroes

Grandeeod wrote: »

Please note I never said I didn't like what's posted and please note the smileys in my post. Furthermore don't assume I was addressing you. It was more about the collective than the individual.

Fair enough. I’d hate to think that someone thought I was defending CIE/IE.:)

Jamie2k9

Genghis wrote: »

I am daily user of intercity services, and I generally find they run mostly to time.

Certainly departures from Heuston are rarely delayed, on my inbound I do experience regular short (up to 5 min) delays , but usually recover and arrive into Heuston close to schedule.

All that said, this thread has got me wondering when the last time it was that Irish Rail put up their punctuality and reliability stats.

For a number of years you would see posters, updated on a 4 week cycle, that showed punctuality and reliability by route. Its maybe 2 or more years thinking back that I last seen these.

Possibly signalling a lower priority on punctuality.

Part of an initiative to reduce waste and help the planet!

They are available on there website.

marieholmfan

Drifter50 wrote: »

Why are they using 22K units on Grand Canal Dock to Hazelhatch and then 29k units appear on Sligo services. Does`nt make any sense.

James Lawless TD takes the train from Sallins.

L1011

marieholmfan wrote: »

James Lawless TD takes the train from Sallins.

Anyone coming from Sallins would prefer a 29k

end of the road

Drifter50 wrote: »

Why are they using 22K units on Grand Canal Dock to Hazelhatch and then 29k units appear on Sligo services. Does`nt make any sense. Gawd I travel Dromod Connolly and its painful for 2 hours let alone 3 to Sligo

operational reasons really.
it doesn't make any sense but unfortunately it is not going to change unless someone with some clout can force it to, and i can't imagine that happening unfortunately.

Drifter50 wrote: »

The 29K units are very tired these days, they all need refurbs but I guess as we have no spare rolling stock they will be kept in service untill something new arrives.

agreed, they seem to be twice as noisy as well. a bike is more appealing and i'm no bike person myself.

Drifter50 wrote: »

Pity the 2700 project was shelved, surely reintroducing them would help. They can`t need that amount of work.

i don't know how much work would be needed, but apparently 1 company gave a quote and it was hugely expensive.

Drifter50 wrote: »

Have all the Mark 3`s and Mark 2d`s been cut up or is there still a bunch of them sitting up in NI sidings. Hamills sidings was mentioned a while ago

no mk3s left that could be got back into service. belmond own some, there are a couple in preservation, and there are a couple in inchicore used for what, i'm unsure.
bar what mkiids that are in preservation, i believe all others were cut up straight after being retired.

L1011

One off the wall suggestion would be to subcontract an RPSI rake to run one of the branch lines to releayae it's units but I don't know where still has the required runarounds fitted and nobody thought to preserve a push/pull unit.

Gain would be minimal anyway

Old diesel

The Mk 3s were a nice carriage back in the day.

Toilets the big downer.

The 22 ks do much better on toilets .

But they just aren't a big enough step forward for noise and comfort. A disappointing product.

Unfit for purpose - well if that purpose is attracting more people to public transport then YES.

Had a delay last time I got a train from Mallow to Tralee last month as one of the connecting Trains ran a little late and we had to wait.

Have become used to that with Irish Rail so I just shrug my shoulders...

Unfortunately this being used to subpar service is a HUGE issue in Ireland generally.

flyingsnail

L1011 wrote: »

One off the wall suggestion would be to subcontract an RPSI rake to run one of the branch lines to releayae it's units but I don't know where still has the required runarounds fitted and nobody thought to preserve a push/pull unit.

Gain would be minimal anyway

The biggest problem I would foresee would be the downgrade in terms of accessibility.

Operationally it would be more difficult, but not impossible.
Ballina – Manulla, no run round in Manulla train would have to run to Claremorris
Limerick – Ballybrophy ,no run around in Limerick station or Ballybrophy, a second loco would be needed to release the train in Limerick and at Ballybrophy the train would have to run to Lisduff to run around.
Limerick – Waterford. Second loco required to release train at Limerick & Waterford.

There is two standard class mk3 PP & mk3 DVT in Moyasta but they would need some serious money to run again.

Jamie2k9

L1011 wrote: »

Anyone coming from Sallins would prefer a 29k

I think most would prefer the ICRs, they are not at an over crowding level such as the odd Maynooth / M3 Parkway. Going from a 22 to a 29 would be a significant downgrade for people.

Why are they using 22K units on Grand Canal Dock to Hazelhatch and then 29k units appear on Sligo services. Does`nt make any sense. Gawd I travel Dromod Connolly and its painful for 2 hours let alone 3 to Sligo
The 29K units are very tired these days, they all need refurbs but I guess as we have no spare rolling stock they will be kept in service untill something new arrives.

They only operate to Sligo on a Sunday and maybe Friday lunchtime. Not ideal.

They work well on PPT services.

L1011

flyingsnail wrote: »

There is two standard class mk3 PP & mk3 DVT in Moyasta but they would need some serious money to run again.

Same cash would probably do a one-off refit on a 2700 set.

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

I think most would prefer the ICRs, they are not at an over crowding level such as the odd Maynooth / M3 Parkway. Going from a 22 to a 29 would be a significant downgrade for people.

For the journey length you would barely notice a difference, and the overcrowding gets worse week on week

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

They work well on PPT services.

They are already standing room only at peak; which involves standing in inadequately ventilated vestibules that were never designed for standing; or in a narrower aisle than on a commuter set.

22ks are not designed for commuter use and whoever decided to buy a lot of them for that purpose rather than more 29ks/equivalent tender is hopefully not involved in purchasing decisions anymore.

Jamie2k9

L1011 wrote: »

Same cash would probably do a one-off refit on a 2700 set.

For the journey length you would barely notice a difference, and the overcrowding gets worse week on week

They are already standing room only at peak; which involves standing in inadequately ventilated vestibules that were never designed for standing; or in a narrower aisle than on a commuter set.

22ks are not designed for commuter use and whoever decided to buy a lot of them for that purpose rather than more 29ks/equivalent tender is hopefully not involved in purchasing decisions anymore.

The only morning services which are busy (can handled a lot more) are the:
07.00 / 07.20 ex Newbridge. The 07.00 has maybe 4-6 at most standing between carriages and plenty of single seats dotted around the train. The 07.20 is by far the bussiest and operated by a 5 car but both services can sustain quiet a few more standing before it becomes a real problem. THe other services are well loaded with people choosing to stand at times.

I don't have much experience in the evening but I suspect apart from 17.30 to Newbridge the other services are generally fine.

It's worth nothing a packed 29000 or 8100 DART are equally at uncomfortable as a 22000. Yes you have the double doors and more space however you also have a lot more people.

I fully stand over if you were to ask people on PPT services would they prefer a 29 over a 22 and the answer would be no.

Right now the PPT is the best commuter service in the GDA and hopefully as electrification happens it will free up more 22s to operate it.

L1011

The numbers on a packed 22k would not result in a 29k being packed....

The two/three 22k sets doing Docklands won't provide much boost to Hazelhatch in the two years or so between electrifications. Its going to be 29ks released by Maynooth, presumably for refit and then replacing the 2600s in Cork.

Jamie2k9

L1011 wrote: »

The numbers on a packed 22k would not result in a 29k being packed....

The two/three 22k sets doing Docklands won't provide much boost to Hazelhatch in the two years or so between electrifications. Its going to be 29ks released by Maynooth, presumably for refit and then replacing the 2600s in Cork.

It was a more general point.

Rouge estimate of numbers on both service above.
4 car 265 seated and lets say 40 standing
5 car 300 seated and lets say 50 standing

4 car 2900 would have 185 seated, that would annoy a lot of passengers and potentially drive business away. You could argue an 8 car could be used however the volume is not there to justify that plus unnecessary increased costs over the existing allocation.

end of the road

L1011 wrote: »

Same cash would probably do a one-off refit on a 2700 set.



For the journey length you would barely notice a difference, and the overcrowding gets worse week on week




They are already standing room only at peak; which involves standing in inadequately ventilated vestibules that were never designed for standing; or in a narrower aisle than on a commuter set.

22ks are not designed for commuter use and whoever decided to buy a lot of them for that purpose rather than more 29ks/equivalent tender is hopefully not involved in purchasing decisions anymore.

to be fair we would have needed the amount of 22ks we have for the regional routes anyway to increase services and capacity so it's probably just as well they did buy them.
i take your point all the same.

Emme

The 6.00am from Waterford was delayed this morning.by an hour. There were two mornings of delays last week and a delay again this morning. Employers can only be understanding for so long. Is this to be the pattern for the winter - trains late at least twice a week?

marieholmfan

Emme wrote: »

The 6.00am from Waterford was delayed this morning.by an hour. There were two mornings of delays last week and a delay again this morning. Employers can only be understanding for so long. Is this to be the pattern for the winter - trains late at least twice a week?

From Waterford to where?

end of the road

marieholmfan wrote: »

From Waterford to where?

have a guess.
what is the only some bit useful service left out of there now?

Emme

marieholmfan wrote: »

From Waterford to where?

Dublin Heuston.