While its true that often busses have been stired for ages before beginning service , and it will be forgotten about soon , should it be the way things are done ,
Fine, there may have been unforseen issues ( was there something about planning permission for chargers ? ) ,
And obviously there is going to need to be training , ( as with any new vehicle type ) , but obviously it was decided that electric buses were desirable- for reasons environmental -fuel saving -emissions - noise, so surely the sooner these advantages can be experienced, the better ( within reason obviously)
The true test is will this delay be learned from ?
Or is a year of delay just , ah tis grand
IÉ has issued a tender "to instal railway approved vending machines on all Intercity Rail Services";
Does this signal an end to on-board catering?
Probably and to be honest its long overdue. I'd rather vending machines to a dining car that is never open
Actually the alternative is generally a trolley for most trains. I can predict that the vanding machines will be the object of low-life and vandals, and that packaging, cups etc will be strewn all over the place.
Just my opinion, but vending machines are a horrible idea.
Vending machines on trains is nothing new. Well, its new for Ireland, but not that new for loads of other places
I don't see it to be honest and you know CSO's job is to monitor and take action to have those removed causing anti social behaviour. Catering was weak before Covid and the case is even weaker now but I still think peak services may see a wider return in time.
In relation to rubbish when the operatior reamoves all but one bin from a 3 coach train. It's not unreasonable for rubbish to be an issue. More suprising they didn't seal off the bin they can't remove.
ah but you will probably get vending machines that either don't work or are empty much of the time.
so swings and roundabouts really.
Apart from cups, I wouldn't see much need for loose items. For any foods which require a spoon/fork, they should only offer foods with that provided in the packaging. Cups probably should be bring your own rather than single use disposable cups which are wasteful and will have to be constantly restocked. They could even put reusable thermos cups in the vending machines for people to buy.
Vending machines work fine on the high-speed trains in Galicia, which is rather a lot more like Ireland than you might think (plenty of vandalism, graffiti etc out and about).
Youthink vending machines will have packaging and cups strew all over the place? When was the last time you were on a train? That kind of stuff is already dumped all over the trains. People are pigs.
Maybe it's a thing on the Dublin commuter trains but I don't see many "vandals and low lives" hanging round the Limerick to Cork, Dublin or Ennis trains so I'm sure they will be fine on those.
Sure, iitter on trains can be a problem, but in my experience there are reasonable efforts to clear up rubbish.
No vandals and low life on trains? Why then all the demands in recent years for a dedicated railway police? How often do you hear of train delays when the Gardai are called to deal with an incident?
I think that Irish Rail have become aware of the problems caused by basically unstaffed trains (i.e. driver only). Hence the move to have onboard train checkers. Staff presence always helps to deal with anti-social behaviour, even if they have to call in the Gardai at times.
"No vandals and low life on trains? Why then all the demands in recent years for a dedicated railway police? How often do you hear of train delays when the Gardai are called to deal with an incident?"
I have never had a train delayed while the Gardai are called even on the GAA special services. Again I believe these problems must be a Dublin commuter thing which is also why the rest of the country has to now suffer an alcohol ban on trains and those G4S wannabe Connor McGregor prcks in Heuston.
Only specific weekend Galway and Waterford services have outright alcohol bans.
But - there has always been a prohibition on drinking non-CIE/Translink sold alcohol, and they aren't selling any except on Belfast services. And outside of those specific services its enforced about as well as seat reservations.
I don't understand what's the difference between prohibition and a ban ?
During Covid and again over the last few months (also GAA matches) there are announcements on the intercity trains whereas between those two points in time I was told by staff it was okay.
It has never been allowed to drink your own alcohol, nothing has changed there. You can only drink alcohol bought off the train operator, who has failed to find anyone willing to sell it for them on the bulk of services - I don't know why the Cork trolley doesn't, but it doesn't. The announcements may have come back now that there is actually some limited trolleys, albeit selling no booze.
The specifically banned trains are ones that even when there's a trolley or restaurant car service it would not sell alcohol.
Fair enough.
The staff gave me the impression that it was only match days it was banned but maybe they were just being sound. That was until a few months ago.
Commuter services do a number of runs before cleaners get a chance to clean the trains.
https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/faqs/what-is-iarnrod-eireann-s-alcohol-policy
Yes, you have never been allowed drink your own alcohol. Nothing changed there.
You are allowed drink alcohol that Irish Rail/Translink sell you on the Enterprise so that page is out of date.
Irish Rail turn a blind eye to it these days anyway.
I was staying along the Sligo line last summer and did a day trip to Carrick via the train. When we went to get the train back to where we were staying, it was stopped on the platform for about 20-30 minutes as the gardai had been called. They escorted someone off the train, had a chat with them on the platform and then cuffed them and brought them off to the station. So it can indeed happen on services outside of Dublin!
Of course it 100% doesn't happen outside of Dublin and it's pedantic to suggest that's what I meant.
The conversation is about vending machines and there is certainly no a serious antisocial behaviour problem on Irish Rail that would warrant not installing as was suggested earlier.
Will the 41 new ICR coaches be enough to alleviate overcrowding?
If not, what about fixing the 2700 fleet? Or are they too badly damaged?
What about buying used trains from UK?
They're too badly damaged
UK trains don't fit our tracks. They would require modifications that may not be possible on more modern integrated units. Also they have a capacity crisis currently too
OK, so it's not just a case of changing bogies? Pity.
The 41 new carriages is a start. It'll make a difference to overcrowding alright, but it'll take time.
A feasibility study into fixing the 2700s revealed it wouldn't be economically viable to bring them back into use. They are scrapped, and I don't know why they haven't been removed yet.
2700s - built 1997/1998, withdrawn 2012, just 14 years use, such a waste, has anybody ever been held accountable?
Let's say we wanted to 1.5x or 2x frequency on Mayo-Dub, GY-Dub, Waterford to Dub, etc. - could this be done with current stock 9incl. the new 41 ICRs)?
If not, what are the plans to add stock for intercity routes?
Grand Canal Dock station
There should be an entrance at the western end of the station, from Grand Canal Quay.
Yes, there are likely to be frequency increases on those routes during 2024 after all the ICR sets are reformed, but we will have to wait and see what they can do.
Next trains on order are DARTs for the Dublin area. They will displace 29000s for use elsewhere on the network, and possibly some additional ICRs as DART+ is rolled out.
Beyond that, tenders have been published for the Enterprise rolling stock replacement, but nothing else is on order or on the tender horizon for now.
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