"They are not there yet, but they're getting there"???

voodoo

I dont know if there are many people who commute to Dublin to work here, but I just want to have a rant at IrishRail....

The main service I refer to is the service from Portarlington to Dublin. I have been commuting to Dublin for the past 8 years and I can honestly say that there has been little if any improvement in the train service that we are getting...

At least in the beginning we had a little coffee dock on the train (even if it was a pre-historic train)...We still have those pre-historic trains today but now we dont even get an option for coffee.

As much as Irishrail are making out of their regular commuters, the service we get back is nothing less than diabolical. Those people coming and going to Dublin after 10am can at least travel on the comfortable and flashy "Cu-Na-Mara" and the other equivalents.

Even take the heating system. In the summer, they have the heating turned on and in the winter, they almost wait until icicles form on the toilet seats (dont start me on the state of the toilets) before they turn the heating on....

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone knows of anywhere or anyone that we could complain to in order to improve the shammy service...

I'd also like to hear any of your comments....

Victor

Try their website www.irishrail.ie or write to their public relations office or ask at your station for a complaints form.

BTW, we pay much lower fares than they do in the UK.

You should really live closer to work. It's trips like this that cripple the system.

Paulg

You should really live closer to work. It's trips like this that cripple the system.

What a stupid comment!

The service is there to be used. Most people cant afford or choose to live in towns throughtout ireland. The infrastructure should be improved to a decent standard. The commuting distances in ireland are probably less that many other european countries.

Scruff

You should really live closer to work. It's trips like this that cripple the system.

Stupid comment is right.

i've been getting the dart for the last 2 years and its as crap as ever. trains delayed, brokendown, lines down, equipment failure at xxxxxx station.
I reckon they just have a random excuse generator that kicks in whenever something goes wrong because some weeks you can hear as many a 10 different excuses as to why the dart is delayed\cancelled.

Living closer to work in Dublin. Its accomodation like that that cripples your bank balance.

mine is proof of that

voodoo

Agree....I think you realise now that was a stupid comment you made about living closer to Dublin....

I was sitting on a train yesterday that was over half an hour delayed before the guard on the train came over the speaker saying -

"Im sorry for the delay, I have only now found out the reason behind the failure. This was due to an engine failure which I have just been informed about"...

How come, if he was the guard that he didn't know?

And also, the reason you pay more in other countries is because the service is 10times better. I was recently in France and you could set your watch to the arrival and departure of their trains

Victor

Originally posted by voodoo
Agree....I think you realise now that was a stupid comment you made about living closer to Dublin....

No, I don't.

voodoo

Well why do "trips like that cripple the system"...what is your basis behind that?

Not everyone can afford to live in Dublin. It's much to expensive. Dat would explain why so many Dubs are coming down to live in the country. That's why your statement is rediculous.

gurramok

Not everyone can afford to live in Dublin. It's much to expensive. Dat would explain why so many Dubs are coming down to live in the country

Agreed !
Dubs have no choice but to move further and further away because of rip-off house prices. A disgraceful situation that these people have to commute to work over long distances every morning and endure a horrible rail service.
I maybe one of the lucky ones who only commutes 2km within dublin to work, but i know people whose lives are stressed out by the long commutng times.

jd

I wouldn't completely blame IR. The rail service has been starved of investment since the 1980's. A lot of the rolling stock is a bit of a joke. IR are getting new dmus (2900 series) but this should have been done years ago. And no, don't expect coffee on commuter services.For the amount of coffee sold, it's not worth having an extra employee on board.
Make your feelings known to Seamus Brennan, he has to sanction investment.
If more tracks had been laid (ie quad sets) one broken train ahead could have been dealt with more easily
jd

BuffyBot

Having had to suffer the Arrow service for so long, I heartily agree - the system is a joke and needs a big investment programme. Rolling stock, stations, lines - you name it.

IR has a lot of staff issues too. Some of the staff just don't give a damn either - when you do complain they look at you like you've too heads. Because, yes it's generally the customers fault that the train hasn't arrived, no announcements were made, and he ends up being two hours late for work....and thats only one example of many

McGinty

The Irish Rail ad campaign, we're not there yet but we are getting there, has such a loser mentatility and is an insult to its customers. Its also a rip off from the Fianna Fail election ad 'Alto done, more to do'. No other company would say to its customers, 'yes I know we offer a bad service but are going to sort it out, honestly' - yeah, like when.

I live in Co. Wicklow, which is really a suburb of Dublin, thankfully I don't have to commute. The train service we have is diabolical. We have the same trains from 20 years ago, with the same train times, 3 a day. The trains are dirty, cold in winter, hot in the summer and the toilets are scary. The only thing I can suggest about getting this changed is get in touch with your local councillors, radio shows, local and national newspapers.

jd

Originally posted by McGinty
I live in Co. Wicklow, which is really a suburb of Dublin, thankfully I don't have to commute. The train service we have is diabolical. We have the same trains from 20 years ago, with the same train times, 3 a day. The trains are dirty, cold in winter, hot in the summer and the toilets are scary. The only thing I can suggest about getting this changed is get in touch with your local councillors, radio shows, local and national newspapers.

yip
I'm from wexford town, and its the same trains. The rollng stock is a joke,frequency can't near compete with Bus Eireann, and the timings were devised by a wimp. Good locos (though they are old)(071's) but they could do with a scrub. To be fair, I find the staff on the service good, but pretty disheartened I;'d guess. There was news on South East Radio that IR want to close the Gorey-Rosslare part of the line...
They should probably replace the loco sets (forget the romanticism) with rail car sets. (though that would be the end of coffee and beer!)

It would be very shortsighted to close that line, all of the East coast from Dundalk to Wexford is rapidy becoming Urbanised/Suburbanised..
see this map

jd

BTW for those interested in Rail transport-IrishRailway news is here