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How could the Train journey time to Dublin from Sligo be cut these days?

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2

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    #32
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭Andy From Sligo


    catallus wrote: »
    Really?

    naw - Im a blow-in really , always will be :rolleyes:


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    #33
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users Posts: 24,485 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    Andy From Sligo wrote: »
    When the the 22000 class were being introduced on the Sligo to Dublin line they had an 'open day' at Sligo station to let people view, somebody asked the driver about travel times and im pretty sure the driver said that in the 70's it took 2 and a half hours to get to Dublin station on the train and these days it takes 3hrs so it actually takes longer now if that is true!

    I'm pretty sure the same can be said about journey times between all major cities by rail.


    edit: piece from 2008 showing that is the case
    http://www.railusers.ie/forum/showthread.php?t=4214


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    #34
    catallus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,106 ✭✭✭catallus


    I knew it! :pac:


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    #35
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭Andy From Sligo


    Cookie_Monster wrote: »
    I'm pretty sure the same can be said about journey times between all major cities by rail.


    why though? - shouldnt modernisation and changing times depict a faster travel time, not the same travel time or slower as time goes on? or is it because there is more trains on the lines these days that it has got slower?


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    #36
    kneemos
    Registered Users Posts: 20,419 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    Andy From Sligo wrote: »
    when i lived in uk years ago there was trains from luton to london that stopped at every station and took an hour, then alternated with what we called 'fast train' which stopped at a few stations at first and then didnt stop at the rest of the stations and that took 30-40 mins.

    Im just trying to think where the single track is on this line, its not single all the way to Dublin - I think it might go 2 lines after Edgworthstown. _ would be fascinating to see how much it would cut off the total journey time if say longford was the last station it stopped at and the next station it stopped at would be Dublin Connolly


    You'd need another train to service Longford to Dublin...as if.


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    #37
    braddun
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭braddun


    jet propulsion pack




    or play the ryan air jingle

    another ontime arrival


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    #38
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭Andy From Sligo


    kneemos wrote: »
    You'd need another train to service Longford to Dublin...as if.

    would not the IE 29000 Class Commuter trains suffice?


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    #39
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭Andy From Sligo


    the UK Intercity 125 trains got you fast from one place to another in uk they were like lightening - ran faster than the Intercity ones over here.

    To be honest we havent got any decent motorway from sligo to dublin (a proper motorway i mean not the N4) so really there should be more pumped into the mainline railway and speed that journey up


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    #40
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users Posts: 24,485 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    Andy From Sligo wrote: »
    why though? - shouldnt modernisation and changing times depict a faster travel time, not the same travel time or slower as time goes on? or is it because there is more trains on the lines these days that it has got slower?

    extra trains using the lines, more crossing conflicts and more suburban services clogging the lines.
    extra padding built into the timetables to enable better on time statistics
    increased number of speed restrictions as maintenance is put off and H&S requirements increase incessantly.
    Stock not specced properly for high speed running and track incapable of supporting it.


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    #41
    Ruu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,622 ✭✭✭Ruu


    Have the train built by Acme.


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    #42
    Tail Docker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,954 ✭✭✭Tail Docker


    It's Sligo. They ought to be stunned, amazed and grateful that anyone even bothered laying a track to there. Never mind running actual trains on it.


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    #43
    anncoates
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,925 ✭✭✭✭anncoates


    Cut the price of drink on it and nobody will care about the journey time


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    #44
    Grayson
    Registered Users Posts: 16,161 ✭✭✭✭Grayson


    JupiterKid wrote: »
    Simple. Double the track from Maynooth to Sligo.

    there's still huge stretches of the track where the train slows to a crawl


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    #45
    Marcusm
    Registered Users Posts: 10,230 ✭✭✭✭Marcusm


    Andy From Sligo wrote: »
    some boffin (if there is any in IR) must be able to come up with a solution of sharing the one track areas so they dont have to wait for another train surely??

    Uh, does the world have any boffins who can allow two trains to share a single rack when travelling in opposite directions? Basically this is the problem with Irish regional rail. Single tracks over long distances preclude operating the rolling stock at anywhere near peak efficiency. However, the cost of laying dual track is an inhabitant when compared with, say, dual carriage/motorways as there is higher usage.


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    #46
    snubbleste
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 31,117 ✭✭✭✭snubbleste


    How could the Train journey time to Dublin from Sligo be cut these days?
    With a sharp scissors


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    #47
    Jawgap
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,297 ✭✭✭✭Jawgap


    For Forks Sake wrote: »
    Monorail is the obvious solution

    What are we? Shelbyville??

    Remove IE from the equation and hand the running of the line over to a proper train company.

    It's doubtful they can speed things up - you probably need to straighten and improve the track - but they might improve the quality and customer experience.


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    #48
    ClovenHoof
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,121 ✭✭✭ClovenHoof


    take the bus - faster and cheaper and a more frequent service.


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    #49
    oppenheimer1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,084 ✭✭✭oppenheimer1


    The reason the new trains cannot reach their top speed is because of the curves on the line. This is due to the line following the route of the royal canal for most of the way.

    To improve journey times would require the entire track relaid along a brand new alignment. If you were doing that you may as well double track and electrify it as well.


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    #50
    Grandeeod
    Registered Users Posts: 12,121 ✭✭✭✭Grandeeod


    In fairness the line only follows the canal to Mullingar. Overall it was cheaply built originally. However since investment, curves have been banked to allow higher speeds, the Shannon bridge was rebuilt, the line and signalling have been brought up to standard and yet its still plugging a 3 hour trip, like it was many years ago. Extra trains on the route were introduced and this does actually slow stuff down. Return it to its original timetable and increase the speed. Then its better. Unfortunately IE thought more trains at the same journey time was progress. Eh....no.


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    #51
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users Posts: 24,485 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    oppenheimer1 wrote: »
    The reason the new trains cannot reach their top speed is because of the curves on the line. This is due to the line following the route of the royal canal for most of the way.

    To improve journey times would require the entire track relaid along a brand new alignment. If you were doing that you may as well double track and electrify it as well.

    or simply bank the corners or invest in tilting trains


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    #52
    Vic_08
    Registered Users Posts: 3,048 ✭✭✭Vic_08


    Andy From Sligo wrote: »
    when i lived in uk years ago there was trains from luton to london that stopped at every station and took an hour, then alternated with what we called 'fast train' which stopped at a few stations at first and then didnt stop at the rest of the stations and that took 30-40 mins.

    Yes, those trains connect London pop c9 million with Nottingham 720,000, Sheffield 685,000, Leicester 508,000 Derby 270,000 Luton 258,000, Chesterfield 113,000, Bedford 106,000 Kettering 67,000 Loughborough 59,000 Wellingborough 49,000 and Corby 61,000

    You are comparing that with a line connecting Sligo 19,000 Collooney 1,300 Boyle 2,500 Carrick 4,000 Dromod 891 Longford 9,600 Edgeworthstown 2,000 Mullingar 20,000 Maynooth 12,000

    The total of all the towns on the line west of Maynooth adds up to less than the population of Corby which until 10 years ago had no rail service at all.
    Andy From Sligo wrote: »
    the UK Intercity 125 trains got you fast from one place to another in uk they were like lightening - ran faster than the Intercity ones over here.

    The relevant words there being Inter City.

    Maynooth, Mullingar and to a lesser extent Longford are commuter towns.

    Sligo is an insignificant small-medium sized town and everywhere else on the line is little more than a bunch of villages.

    If you would like some UK lines to compare it to I am sure I could find some, they would be minor branch lines with low frequencies and speeds. I'm thinking one of the rural Welsh or Scottish lines would be most similar to the Dublin - Sligo line.
    Andy From Sligo wrote: »
    To be honest we havent got any decent motorway from sligo to dublin (a proper motorway i mean not the N4) so really there should be more pumped into the mainline railway and speed that journey up

    The roads are perfectly acceptable for the low population numbers it serves, a motorway is not warranted to allow the small number of journeys taken on that route to be sped up.

    The same applies to the rail line, the frequency to Sligo is much improved compared to 10 years ago and the single line is more than sufficient to cater for the current and future traffic needs.

    If it is too slow for your (I'm guessing) irregular trips to the big smoke then tough, there are hundreds of other transport improvements in the country that are more worthwhile most of which are not being funded.


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    #53
    GTE
    Registered Users Posts: 3,911 ✭✭✭GTE


    kneemos wrote: »
    Is that an honest opinion or just a ordinary opinion?

    Educated. . .


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    #54
    Larianne
    Registered Users Posts: 35,954 ✭✭✭✭Larianne


    Did Sligo recently get broadband?


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    #55
    Kevin McCloud
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,797 ✭✭✭Kevin McCloud


    Larianne wrote: »
    Did Sligo recently get broadband?

    Dial up.


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    #56
    Banjoxed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,844 ✭✭✭Banjoxed


    The Backwards Man wrote: »
    Put it on wheels and drive it to Dublin in two hours.

    Like the bus that takes four?


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    #57
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭Andy From Sligo


    ClovenHoof wrote: »
    take the bus - faster and cheaper and a more frequent service.

    bus is slower (4 hours on bus I think as opposed to 3hours on train) ... but yeah it is cheaper (no toilet on it!)


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    #58
    Kevin McCloud
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,797 ✭✭✭Kevin McCloud


    No toilet on a 4 hour bus journey is taking the piss.


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    #59
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭Andy From Sligo


    oppenheimer1 wrote: »
    The reason the new trains cannot reach their top speed is because of the curves on the line. This is due to the line following the route of the royal canal for most of the way.

    To improve journey times would require the entire track relaid along a brand new alignment. If you were doing that you may as well double track and electrify it as well.

    ...and why not - come on lets do it, we are a 1st world progressive country - or will the ol chestnut of 'there isnt enough population in Ireland/west' rear its ugly head again?


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    #60
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭Andy From Sligo


    Vic_08 wrote: »
    Yes, those trains connect London pop c9 million with Nottingham 720,000, Sheffield 685,000, Leicester 508,000 Derby 270,000 Luton 258,000, Chesterfield 113,000, Bedford 106,000 Kettering 67,000 Loughborough 59,000 Wellingborough 49,000 and Corby 61,000 ....

    well the trains I were referring to was the bedpan line - that was Bedford to St. Pancras but i see what you mean


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    #61
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭Andy From Sligo


    Vic_08 wrote: »
    ...
    The relevant words there being Inter City.
    Maynooth, Mullingar and to a lesser extent Longford are commuter towns...

    yet iarnrod eireann call these 'Intercity' trains on the Sligo to Dublin line...


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