Phoenix Park Tunnel

thomasj · 23-11-2016 8:01pm

The Connolly / drumcondra junction suffered a points fault this afternoon meaning trains couldn't run through drumcondra.

Maynooth line has the option to run through Newcomen junction down the midland line and under croke park bypassing drumcondra. So this kept them running during the disruption.

Kildare line doesn't have this option meaning if this was to happen tonight , Kildare line services would be suspended.

kc56 · 23-11-2016 8:40pm

thomasj wrote: »

Kildare line doesn't have this option meaning if this was to happen tonight , Kildare line services would be suspended.

They weren't.

ChikiChiki · 23-11-2016 11:34pm

mullyboyee wrote: »

On the 6.50 from Hazelhatch &Celbridge atm and it's one of the proper train carriages (same as the Cork intercity ones)

Huge change from the rancid sweatbox of a commuter carriage that runs from Maynooth via Leixlip at the same time.

I wonder if they might swap these carriages at some stage as this train is VERY quiet with lots of seats available.

I hope not for my sake

I honestly think they're better off ripping out the seats on the Maynooth trains to make more standing room. It's gone horrifically uncomfortable and people at Ashtown are getting left on the platforms some mornings.

noodler · 25-11-2016 6:12pm

The backlog outside connolly etc has been madness the last week or so with the advent of these new routes.

Constant delays before connolly/Tara etc.

Despite this, and the massive backlog of passengers at Pearse St, very few ppl are getting on the new bridge train. I mean very few.

Do a lot more get on at Tara and connolly? I'd assume a lot of ppl might be stuck on annual bus/rail cards and perhaps it might get busier on new year?

theskeptic · 26-11-2016 3:16pm

noodler wrote: »

Do a lot more get on at Tara and connolly? I'd assume a lot of ppl might be stuck on annual bus/rail cards and perhaps it might get busier on new year?

I was at Tara St most days last week between 18:15 and 18:30 I'd estimate Newbridge train was no more than 20% full arriving in Tara (for Newbridge) and less than 25% full on leaving.

On the positive side - dwell time was low - I timed it one evening as 30 seconds from full-stop to start-moving.

Shedite27 · 26-11-2016 3:55pm

Reports from someone at work (Baggot Street Lower) coming from Sallins that it's quicker to get off at Heuston and get a 145 than go across to Grand Canal. The times aren't on google planner yet are they?

Jamie2k9 · 26-11-2016 4:08pm

Shedite27 wrote: »

Reports from someone at work (Baggot Street Lower) coming from Sallins that it's quicker to get off at Heuston and get a 145 than go across to Grand Canal. The times aren't on google planner yet are they?

I did suggest times would be a problem via current modes of transport before it starts but glad to see signs are positive but it's early days.

A 10 minute DART could destroy things in future.

Rashers72 · 26-11-2016 4:22pm

noodler wrote: »

The backlog outside connolly etc has been madness the last week or so with the advent of these new routes.

Constant delays before connolly/Tara etc.

Yes, every single train I got on (Northern suburban line) was delayed this week, ranging from 10-40 mins. Inbound in the mornings, all the delays were outside Connolly. In the evenings, with the exception of the 40 min delay, delays were between Pearse and Malahide.
IE Twitter updates refer to leaves and congestion @ Connolly.
Never seen so many tweets in 1 week by passengers seeking updates stuck on delayed trains...
But way ahead of my frustration re the actual delays was the complete lack of announcements on trains. My personal opinion is there is something else going on.
With the leaves now at the end (@ least in my opinion) I really hope things improve this week. I asked IE before this new service started would the other lines be impacted, and they said no impact was expected.......

Trampas · 26-11-2016 5:23pm

kc56 wrote: »

At present it's the fare to Heuston plus the city centre add-on. From 1st Dec, Sallins is in the short-hop zone, so max singe fare of 4.90 with Leap Card to anywhere in the zone. Fares not yet on IrishRai web site but machine work.

I tried to buy a ticket to hazelhatch from
Blackrock from the machine and no option to buy.

Used leapcard from blackrock and departing hazelhatch I was greater with the message I need to start a fare.

Unless the systems have been updated yesterday then nothing.

Irish rail and leapcard ignored my tweets to them

magicbastarder · 26-11-2016 5:49pm

why not send an email?
there will be an official process to respond to customer queries via email. probably not with tweets.

Rashers72 · 26-11-2016 5:57pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

why not send an email?
there will be an official process to respond to customer queries via email. probably not with tweets.

Done. Requested district manager ring me. Got a phone call to say he was unavailable this week, but will call me next week.
I actually think the Tweeter side of IE is generally very good. But when they say 'I have advised relevant personnel' I am not so sure exactly who that is. I will update here when I have had that conversation....

foggy_lad · 27-11-2016 2:17am

noodler wrote: »

Despite this, and the massive backlog of passengers at Pearse St, very few ppl are getting on the new bridge train. I mean very few.

Do a lot more get on at Tara and connolly? I'd assume a lot of ppl might be stuck on annual bus/rail cards and perhaps it might get busier on new year?

You can't buy tickets for trains taking the tunnel yet and leap cards are not working either, you can log on at Newbridge but can't log off at Connolly or any station on the dart line.

goingnowhere · 27-11-2016 7:19pm

foggy_lad wrote: »

You can't buy tickets for trains taking the tunnel yet and leap cards are not working either, you can log on at Newbridge but can't log off at Connolly or any station on the dart line.

You can't use leap at Newbridge regardless, its not supported

You can buy tickets through the tunnel at Newbridge and Sallins

kc56 · 27-11-2016 7:25pm

goingnowhere wrote: »

You can't use leap at Newbridge regardless, its not supported

You can buy tickets through the tunnel at Newbridge and Sallins

If you have a Newbridge-Heuston point to point on a Leap card or IR Smartcard and also have the city centre extension, then the ticket is valid through to GCD. Otherwise, you can't use Leap cards at Newbridge and beyond.

Carawaystick · 28-11-2016 11:26am

foggy_lad wrote: »

You can't buy tickets for trains taking the tunnel yet

Do they still have no ticket no travel no excuse signs up?

Or can you travel without a ticket in some circumstances?

kc56 · 02-12-2016 12:47pm

After two weeks, loadings don't look to bad. For example the 1728 GCD-Newbrisge was an almost packed 4-car ICR. Loadings on the GCD-Hazelhatch are about 50% so people obviously prefer the direct service to Sallins/Newbridge the stations with the highest traffic.

Are these people to have switched from Heuston or new customers? Yesterday was the 1st day Sallins joined the SHZ, so maybe that also contributed?

Either way, IE/NTA must be pleased with the uptake which bodes well for future expansion once they get more rolling stock back in service. If funding is provided, they want to overhaul the 2700s.

Connections to Portlaoise trains also appear to be working with 3-10 waits.

noodler · 02-12-2016 1:10pm

kc56 wrote: »

After two weeks, loadings don't look to bad. For example the 1728 GCD-Newbrisge was an almost packed 4-car ICR. Loadings on the GCD-Hazelhatch are about 50% so people obviously prefer the direct service to Sallins/Newbridge the stations with the highest traffic.

Are these people to have switched from Heuston or new customers? Yesterday was the 1st day Sallins joined the SHZ, so maybe that also contributed?

Either way, IE/NTA must be pleased with the uptake which bodes well for future expansion once they get more rolling stock back in service. If funding is provided, they want to overhaul the 2700s.

Connections to Portlaoise trains also appear to be working with 3-10 waits.

Trains arriving at Pearse on the way home (5/6pm) are still virtually empty with well under 10 ppl getting on.

Must be filling up further down the line.

Riskymove · 02-12-2016 3:07pm

noodler wrote: »

Trains arriving at Pearse on the way home (5/6pm) are still virtually empty with well under 10 ppl getting on.

Must be filling up further down the line.

No they are pretty much less than 50% full at all times

I have never seen a packed train yet

I got a train earlier this week (1843 from Pearse) and was the only one in the carriage

loyatemu · 03-12-2016 4:20pm

Riskymove wrote: »

No they are pretty much less than 50% full at all times

I have never seen a packed train yet

I got a train earlier this week (1843 from Pearse) and was the only one in the carriage

watched the 1732 train go through Pearse yesterday (it was 10 minutes late of course). Pretty much the peak time train - there was no more than one person sitting at each table.

kc56 · 03-12-2016 4:39pm

loyatemu wrote: »

watched the 1732 train go through Pearse yesterday (it was 10 minutes late of course). Pretty much the peak time train - there was no more than one person sitting at each table.

On Thursday, that train was almost full at Drumcondra so, perhaps, a lot of ppl board at Connolly?

Riskymove · 03-12-2016 8:15pm

loyatemu wrote: »

watched the 1732 train go through Pearse yesterday (it was 10 minutes late of course). Pretty much the peak time train - there was no more than one person sitting at each table.

I actually got on the train and....the horror...had to share a 4 seater with someone else!!

Riskymove · 03-12-2016 8:16pm

kc56 wrote: »

On Thursday, that train was almost full at Drumcondra so, perhaps, a lot of ppl board at Connolly?

funnily enough a number of people seem to get on at Pearse and get off at Connolly

I assume there is a maynooth or dundalk train starting at Connolly

Riskymove · 05-12-2016 7:46pm

Another major points failure!!

kc56 · 05-12-2016 8:37pm

Riskymove wrote: »

Another major points failure!!

Doesn't appear to have affected PPT trains much. 1758 was on time and later ones about 5 mins late.

Zebra3 · 05-12-2016 9:39pm

Riskymove wrote: »

Another major points failure!!

Yep, Maynooth bound trains in the evenings have been all over the place since the PPT opened. Absolute shambles.

Got into Drumcindra this evening with the display on the platform informing me trains were delayed. Nothing on Irish Rail's so-called real time website. Several minutes after the 19:14 has disappeared off that-called real time it reappears informing people it's running late.

How the hell can a company get away with such a shoddy service? :mad:

Riskymove · 05-12-2016 9:51pm

kc56 wrote: »

Doesn't appear to have affected PPT trains much. 1758 was on time and later ones about 5 mins late.

The 1819 didn't leave until 1845

devnull · 06-12-2016 12:39am

Realistically, how much longer do we thing Irish Rail need to balls things up for before they get to close it off again as they no doubt would like?

n97 mini · 06-12-2016 1:02am

I think it's a rude awakening for IE that they can't handle. Welcome to running a real railway network (just about).

ixoy · 06-12-2016 1:24am

They stuck a service at 1821 from Tara, between an existing 1819 to Drogheda and an 1823 DART. The four minute gap that existed before was rarely met, but Irish Rail are in no way able to manage two minute gaps between trains. The result is the trains are now always late.

AngryLips · 06-12-2016 9:15am

All that money spent on resignalling the loop line bridge, wasted

Phoenix Park Tunnel

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