Phoenix Park tunnel: 4 trains per hour from 2016

Infini wrote: »

To be honest they should be hiring people for the regular jobs like the platforms and such but over the last 10 years they've butchered the ground staff levels whike hiring managers and consultants etc. To be honest theyre running out of places to hire staff internally for the driving as all the old sources are nearly run dry.

Believe they even lowered the bar for the extra dart drivers they took on who sit around nowadays doing nothing as theyre in a limbo themselves. This in itself is a part of the problem with the mentoring as it wasnt just the pay but I heard that if a driver being mentored SPADS for example the mentor ends up with points on their own licence (rail has their own system like normal driving) that can get them taken down even if they arent the one driving. It just isnt worth the risk for the older drivers to do the mentoring so thats partly why things are the way they are now.

Surly the new DART drivers should of also been trained on 2900 routes in the Dublin area as well. I am sure they would be useful at times.

I know EMU is different to DMU but is there really a legitimate reason why they are not trained. Unions and IE management aside?

I'm sure plenty of diesel drivers are trained to operate 2900. 2200. 071's etc around Dublin.

thomond2006

Is there any suggestion that in future these trains could connect with some intercity services from Limerick/Cork at Newbridge for example?

Infini

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Surly the new DART drivers should of also been trained on 2900 routes in the Dublin area as well. I am sure they would be useful at times.

I know EMU is different to DMU but is there really a legitimate reason why they are not trained. Unions and IE management aside?

I'm sure plenty of diesel drivers are trained to operate 2900. 2200. 071's etc around Dublin.

Not sure to be honest if I were to take a guess though it would be down to the trains themselves having different systems from one another. That and Diesel drivers and Dart Drivers work completely different depots and routes as well.

haulier

The differentiation between driving DART/DIESEL may be due to the fact that DART has ATP

Are the announcements which are made in Pearse, Tara, Connolly etc automatic. Reason I ask is I have taken a Hazelhatch service today and yesterday and they announced "the next train etc" and then a few minutes lather "the train now standing at platform etc" however the train has departed the station by the time the second announcement is made.
____

On a general note the empty land along the KRP is to be developed from next year so it might resulte in the unopened station opening in the next 2-3 years.

end of the road

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Are the announcements which are made in Pearse, Tara, Connolly etc automatic.

announcements in tara and perse, connolly platforms 5-7 are automated. or maybe all of connolly has automated announcements now.

end of the road wrote: »

announcements in tara and perse, connolly platforms 5-7 are automated. or maybe all of connolly has automated announcements now.

Yes they actual announcement is but what I am getting at is the announcement activated by a person or automatic and if they have it timed between the first and second announcement. Making an announcement when the train is moving off the platform is pointless.

Marty Bird

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Yes they actual announcement is but what I am getting at is the announcement activated by a person or automatic and if they have it timed between the first and second announcement. Making an announcement when the train is moving off the platform is pointless.

As far as I know the announcements are made automatic depending on the train ID.

Ce he sin

Working class heroes wrote: »

• IR advertise positions internally (CIE Group)
• Applicants apply
• Applicant sit general assessments, physiological and the like
• if applicant is deemed suitable following above they are invited to take part in a practical assessment. If the applicant doesn't get past this stage they are deemed ineligible to apply for a period of 1 year.
• The final stage of the selection process is an interview. After this stage a successful candidate is deemed a trainee driver(subject to a medical)

Now all of the above is the selection process.
After this stage very very few, if any drop out. Certainly not 90%.

It's interesting that (repeated?) reapplications are allowed after a failed assessment. I was reading recently that in the UK where some (not all) operating companies recruit drivers externally they regularly get 200 or 300 applications per vacancy and presumably because of this they have a much more draconian approach to the assessment. Fail twice and you have a lifetime ban on most driving jobs, London Underground being an exception. The official reasoning is that if you've failed twice any subsequent pass will be by chance, unofficially it's because they can afford to be fussy.
They get so many applications because it's a very well paid job with a four day week, a pension and no requirement for third level qualifications.

IrishZeus

Apologies for the random question but couldn't find anything on this:

Does anyone know if there are any planned changes on the Sallins-Heuston or Sallins-GCD timetables? More specificially if there will be an additional trains being added over the coming months.

Myself and my wife commute on the train every day to Heuston with my wife using the GCD at times. The trains are becoming far more busy recently (which is a good thing) but just wondering if there are plans for any further peak hour services? Currently from Sallins-Hueston and back:

Inbound
7.37 - Direct to Heuston - no stops
7.43 - Sallins - Heuston - with stops
7.53 - Sallins - Heuston - with stops
8.20 - Sallins - Heuston - with stops
8.35 - Direct to Heuston - no stops

Outbound
4.20 - Heuston - Sallins - with stops
4.40 - Heuston - Sallins - with stops
5.30 - Direct to - Sallins - no stops
5.35 - Heuston - Sallins - with stops

The morning service schedule isn't bad but another train between the 7.53 and 8.20 would be great - especially for people dropping kids to creches/minders.

The evening can be a bit tricky with a fairly large gap between the 4.40 and 5.30, and then 2 services within five minutes of each other.

Not giving out by any means - very happy with the service - just wondering if anyone knows of further changes/expansions?

Thanks,

IZ.

Not until more drivers are trained up, which requires the current IR negotiations to conclude, as existing drivers are refusing to mentor trainees currently as a bargaining chip in the negotiation process.

There will unlikely be any changes in terms of frequency between Sallins and Heuston. There is 8 trains to Heuston (6) or GCD (2) between 07.00-08.00 which is significant when you compare to most large commuter towns. Followed by 08.19. 08.35 and 08.50.

Even with a timetable change and additional GCD you will unlikely see extra morning services. The 08.20 could potentially be adjusted slightly earlier but they will allow you issue feedback on that when it happens.

As for the evening the 17.10 to Athlone dons't serve Nass and it's never heavily loaded so you could provide feedback to them about that now but unlikely to be adjusted unless there is a change of timetable which should take place next year.

GM228

Next timetable is due to commence December 10th (public consultation soon) and there are no major changes or additionals to the GCD services.

GM228 wrote: »

Next timetable is due to commence December 10th (public consultation soon) and there are no major changes or additionals to the GCD services.

About time they went back to December schedule.

LuckyLloyd

That's disappointing.

Does anyone have a view on the loadings / uptake of the services currently offered? Is there a justification for not expanding the offering or is it purely down to a failure to complete driver negotiations?

kc56

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

That's disappointing.

Does anyone have a view on the loadings / uptake of the services currently offered? Is there a justification for not expanding the offering or is it purely down to a failure to complete driver negotiations?

Loading are quite good especially on Newbridge services. A shortage of rolling stock makes adding to peak services problematic. Off peak depends on additional drivers.

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

That's disappointing.

Does anyone have a view on the loadings / uptake of the services currently offered? Is there a justification for not expanding the offering or is it purely down to a failure to complete driver negotiations?

There are not enough drivers on the Heuston side to operate any additional services - that's the fundamental issue.

Until more are trained up and passed out that won't change.

That's not happening because existing drivers are refusing to mentor trainees until the pay negotiations are concluded.

GM228 wrote:

Next timetable is due to commence December 10th (public consultation soon) and there are no major changes or additionals to the GCD services.

Any surprises?

LXFlyer wrote: »

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

That's disappointing.

Does anyone have a view on the loadings / uptake of the services currently offered? Is there a justification for not expanding the offering or is it purely down to a failure to complete driver negotiations?

There are not enough drivers on the Heuston side to operate any additional services - that's the fundamental issue.

Until more are trained up and passed out that won't change.

That's not happening because existing drivers are refusing to mentor trainees until the pay negotiations are concluded.

Its more stock than drivers at Heuston. They have a good service already and while numbers may be up IE have lost a lot of revenue from Sallins since Leap rollout.

I really don't know how much better people expect than a 15-20 minute freq.

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Its more stock than drivers at Heuston. They have a good service already and while numbers may be up IE have lost a lot of revenue from Sallins since Leap rollout.

I really don't know how much better people expect than a 15-20 minute freq.

There certainly are not enough drivers to expand the PPT service into an all day and weekend operation.

There isn't likely to be any great expansion of peak services regardless - as you say there isn't the rolling stock there.

thomasj wrote: »

Any surprises?

I'd hope you'll see journey times improve on the Heuston side (reflecting the improved line speeds), and an expansion of off peak services on the Connolly side on Maynooth and the Northern lines, which I would fervently hope will address the Sunday service issues on both lines.

LXFlyer wrote:

I'd hope you'll see journey times improve on the Heuston side (reflecting the improved line speeds), and an expansion of off peak services on the Connolly side on Maynooth and the Northern lines, which I would fervently hope will address the Sunday service issues on both lines.

Have my fingers crossed on this? And just in time too leading up to the open of LCC

patrickbrophy18

GM228 wrote: »

Next timetable is due to commence December 10th (public consultation soon) and there are no major changes or additionals to the GCD services.

Just as a matter of interest, where did you get this information?

I see no mention of it on either the NTA nor Irish Rail websites.

patrickbrophy18 wrote:

I see no mention of it on either the NTA nor Irish Rail websites.

Funny enough the current online timetable only goes as far as 9th December.

patrickbrophy18 wrote: »

Just as a matter of interest, where did you get this information?

I see no mention of it on either the NTA nor Irish Rail websites.

You will when IE tell the public.

December change was an annual event until December 2011. They pushed the Heuston December 2012 change out to January 2013 and that timetable has largely remained in tact ever since with some major Galway/Westport adjustments (lets hope they don't make the same mistake) while minor Cork/Waterford adjustments with an additional service or two added.

Irish rail saying on twitter the December changes won't go to public consultation as they are only minor.

IrishZeus

thomasj wrote: »

Irish rail saying on twitter the December changes won't go to public consultation as they are only minor.

Any mention of when they will be publicised?