DART capacity reconfiguration

Sam Russell wrote: »

Does that mean someone coming from Bray to Maynooth (currently a through train) will be able to cross the platform and the Maynooth train will depart before the Dart? Or will the Dart continue on its merry way leaving the Maynooth train to wait till it has gone?

bikeman1 wrote: »

I would imagine that the through Bray to Maynooth / Drogheda trains will continue. They serve quite a lot of passengers who work on the southside of the city, especially Lansdowne Road and are a huge bonus for attracting the commuters of North Dublin and the Maynooth line onto the train. Also there can be space restrictions in Pearse/GCD, if all services start and finish there.

I would imagine that those diesel trains that do so will continue to operate through to Bray - for one thing they add extra capacity without requiring an additional train/driver.

As bikeman1 says - space is limited in the city centre area, and continuing to operate them south doesn't use up a DART path as the 15 minute frequency is maintained.

DD9090 wrote: »

Electrification needs to take place for that platform too.

That is all part of the city centre resignalling project - the track east of Pearse will be remodelled and resignalled.

This work is now out to tender (which for some poster's benefit I discovered through a google search):

http://www.mytenders.ie/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=SEP410499

Signalling, Telecoms and OHLE Works for CCRP Phases 3 & 4.
IE is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified contractors
with experience of complex railway system projects for the carrying out of
Signalling, Telecoms and Overhead Line Equipment (OHLE) works required for
Phase 3 of the City Centre Re-Signalling Project.
The City Centre Re-Signalling Project (CCRP) is a strategic re-signalling
project covering the DART network. The project is divided into four
interrelated phases for ease of management and control. Phases 3 & 4 are a
continuation of the existing Phases 1 & 2, which are now nearing
completion. Phase 3 comprises Connolly Station to Sandymount, with
permanent way changes at Grand Canal Dock (GCD). Phase 4 covers Connolly
Station area.
The scope of this tender will include works relating to Phase 3 only. It
is intended to enter into an Early Collaboration Contract with the
successful tenderer.
The Phase 3 Signalling, Telecoms and OHLE works are comprised of the
following:
— Provision of signalling to cater for a centre road terminating turn back
facility for southbound trains at Grand Canal Dock Station adjacent to
platform 2.
— Re-signalling of the area between Connolly and Sandymount including the
replacement of the life expired 3 aspect signalling system based on relay
interlocking with a modern multi-aspect system based on solid state
interlocking.
— Provision of wayside systems that are suitable for both automatic train
protection (ATP) technology and continuous automatic warning systems
(CAWS).
— Replacement of the existing track circuits with axle counters.
— Provision of point machines to all new points.
— Replacement of relay based level crossing control with Siemens S7
Fail-Safe Programmable Logic Control (PLC) at Lansdowne Road level
crossing and at Serpentine Avenue level crossing.
— Provision of a new signalling power distribution system with
Uninterrupted Power Supply and backup diesel generators.
— Provision of new fibre transmission nodes at strategic points to provide
circuits for line side phones, train radio and signalling.
— Upgrade of the PABX system and installation of new line side telephones.
— Modification of the layout of the overhead line equipment (OHLE) as
necessary for a turnback facility at Grand Canal Dock station.

IE blaming drivers this morning for refusing to carry out coupler checks, resulting in 2 and 4 carriage DARTs only during peaktime. There's going to be some serious overcrowding issues this morning.

Irish Rail apologises as ‘driver issue’ reduces DART capacity - Independent.ie
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/irish-rail-apologises-as-driver-issue-reduces-dart-capacity-29657673.html

14 October 2013
COMMUTERS using the DART this morning face possible delays as some services are operating with reduced peak-time capacity due to what Irish Rail has described as a “driver issue”.

Peak time DARTs normally operate with a mix of 8-carriage, 6-carriage and 4-carriage train

“The effect of this issue will be that most DARTs will operate as a 4-carriage train, and a small number will operate as a 2-carriage train,” it added.

“We apologise for the inconvenience caused.

“This is due to a refusal by drivers to carry out a coupler check before DART trains leave the depot to enter service.”

...

“Drivers had been carrying out the check since its introduction last month. ”

“However, following SIPTU indicating, outside of agreed procedures, that it would no longer cooperate with this check, they are not being carried out by drivers today resulting in shorter trains.”

davidlacey wrote: »

On the 8:10 dart from bray just now and it was a four car set needless to say It was packed to unsafe levels and people were turned away at stations. I do not see IEs thinking in this other than annoying ppl so much that they are forced to go back to the way things are through political pressure. 8:10 is a peak time end of! there can be no argument about that, it is getting ridiculous when you have examples of this and then at off peak times sit in 8 carriage sets. Typical IE management.

lucky you didn't wait for the 8:30 from Greystones which was a TWO car!

Decuc500 wrote: »

Yeah this morning was great craic. People couldn't get on my 4 carriage dart at Killester. I just presumed it was Irish Rail saving money.

It is, indirectly at least. If they weren't splitting the DARTs in the first place, there would be no need to put them back together.

Their tweets this morning are an insult to the paying public too. Blaming the drivers with the clear intention of absolving themselves of any fault. Clearly risk management and contingency hasn't entered the corridors of Irish Rail at all.

Aside from all the delays and severe discomfort this morning, the health and safety of passengers was clearly a major issue, both on the platforms and on the trains themselves.

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

How on earth are train safety checks "outside of agreed procedures" before taking control of a train / releasing a train for ops when the lack of capacity directly endangers customers when IE (and their staff) know the demand will be far in excess of 2 or 4 carriage capacity?

Considering SIPTU haven't come out and defended themselves, I am inclined to believe that the statements in the Irish Times are correct.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/shorter-darts-lead-to-overcrowding-for-commuters-1.1560110

Sounds like the unions are going to try for more money as their poor members have been asked to do extra work.

Edit: It seems that if the staff are given new work to do, they can refuse to do it as it is not part of their agreed tasks. It doesn't seem to matter how hard the work is.

lxflyer wrote: »

I think you're mixing Drumcondra up with Pearse - it was Dublin/Galway drivers that clocked in at Pearse and then went to Heuston to pick up their train. This went back to the days when Galway trains operated from Connolly.

Thankfully that sort of nonsense is long gone.

...

Is this morning's coupling check fiasco an example of "that sort of nonsense" or something else?

I wonder will this issue be sorted by evening rush hour? Mind you pretty much every dart to the Northside in the evening is only 4 carriages anyway so I probably won't notice a difference.:rolleyes:

Pilots always do pre-flight checks. Why shouldn't train drivers do pre-departure checks?

Or is this the only one they're being asked to do?

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Train drivers do pre departure tests as well. The tests in question are done as part of train servicing prior to it carrying passengers; it's akin to a pilot doing a pre flight check whilst in the hangar and not the departure gate.

I think you will find pre flight checks are taken at departure gates especially by pilots. Aircraft only visit the hanger certain times in there checks schedule unless there is a problem that requires parts to be fitted which can't be carried out at the gate. There is no justification for this action by the drivers and this is also clear within the union who won't even comment on it as to why its happening publicly.

The current standoff between SIPTU and IE is on the issue of coupler integrity tests. Over the last few months a couple of incidents have arisen where 2 or more EMU's have departed stations with doors open. The blue interlock light a driver gets when all doors are closed allows drivers to be sure all doors are locked before traction power can be taken. If the interlock light is not illuminated then traction power is not available. With 2 or more EMU's coupled then the leading unit gets a constant reading from all other units in the consist that is known as being "train lined". The current coupler problem means that the driver of a multiple EMU may get a blue interlock light in their leading unit but the signal travelling through the coupler is not being detected properly and doors on other units in the consist may not be closed therefore the consist is not "train lined" . If the leading unit has an interlock light and the electrical signal is not travelling correctly through the coupler heads then the leading unit may be able to take traction power with doors open on other units of the consist which has obvious safety implications. Drivers have no objection in carrying out any sort of pre departure tests on their trains but what happens if the problem arises out the line after pre departure check have been carried out and all is found to be ok in the depot. Drivers tests are a belts and braces approach they are a double check of the tests maintenance have carried out. Because IE are short on funds maintenance personal have been cut back so therefore less people with the same amount of work. Eventually something has to give. At the end of the day the driver is solely responsible for the train and people aboard it. Why should a person put themselves at risk of falling afoul of the Railway Safety Act 2005 and ending up in prison for 10 years with deaths on their hands because of IE not making sure that the trains they run are safe and sound. Going further on what other problems are lurking underneath the surface with the safety of our train. If a driver cant even trust the integrity of the holy grail of train safety, the blue interlock light , then we as a travelling public are in some bother. In my opinion this is like a pilot taking off knowing the door at the front is closed but not being to sure about the rear door. By drivers completing these tests it kicks the can down the road for IE and the onus is off them to correct this vitally important safety system quickly.