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Why isn't Irish rail privatised?

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    #32
    Drifter50
    Registered Users Posts: 617 ✭✭✭Drifter50


    Reputable Rog wrote: »
    Why are DB running EMU's in Belgium? The distance from BRU to Antwerp is only 40km significantly less than Dublin to Thurles.

    Can`t answer you that, I`m not familiar enough with the train operators there. All I know is its usually a 3 car or 6 car EMU with DB decals on it. I`ve also seen similiar units with DB decals operating around Eindhoven and Utrecht in NL. Before you ask no, not the DB IC intercity trains that carry on through to Germany


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    #33
    lufties
    Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭lufties


    Dravokivich wrote: »
    Why would an investor, pay a higher outlay, that'll take longer to get a return on, than a bus?
    jhenno78 wrote: »
    I think you'd have to say that in terms of punctuality, British railways are nothing to write home about.

    Frequency of service is down to planning regulations, population and infrastructure investment, all of which are matters of government policy and thus independent of the public/private debate.


    I travelled daily from Clapham junction to Gatwick daily for 6 months. Weekly tickets worked out quite cheap as I recall. The frequency was very good, as was the Punctuality 90% of the time.


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    #34
    Jamie2k9
    Registered Users Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭Jamie2k9


    jhenno78 wrote: »
    I think you'd have to say that in terms of punctuality, British railways are nothing to write home about.

    Frequency of service is down to planning regulations, population and infrastructure investment, all of which are matters of government policy and thus independent of the public/private debate.

    I'm not agreeing however there is a far superior service over there despite its flaws and high prices. Irish Rail are fine but could be so much better and yes you can argue its down to funding/investment but the problems are way bigger which is down to the company.

    Punctuality could be better over there however when you compare it to here Irish Rail look pretty poor simply because there is no congested routes here yet there is constant delays. The current 10 minute DART should be working significantly better than it is and its current issues are not exclusively leaves related.

    People would support higher fares if they delivered for customers in terms of capacity, frequency and reliability.


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    #35
    jhenno78
    Closed Accounts Posts: 208 ✭✭jhenno78


    lufties wrote: »
    I travelled daily from Clapham junction to Gatwick daily for 6 months. Weekly tickets worked out quite cheap as I recall. The frequency was very good, as was the Punctuality 90% of the time.
    And is that a fair comparison to dublin/thurles? Your example is something more like greystones to dublin...if greystones had an international airport. That journey is, I think 155 for the month?


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    #36
    Drifter50
    Registered Users Posts: 617 ✭✭✭Drifter50


    Jamie2k9 wrote: »
    I'm not agreeing however there is a far superior service over there despite its flaws and high prices. Irish Rail are fine but could be so much better and yes you can argue its down to funding/investment but the problems are way bigger which is down to the company.

    Punctuality could be better over there however when you compare it to here Irish Rail look pretty poor simply because there is no congested routes here yet there is constant delays. The current 10 minute DART should be working significantly better than it is and its current issues are not exclusively leaves related.

    People would support higher fares if they delivered for customers in terms of capacity, frequency and reliability.

    Not sure how much more capacity there is in the Connolly/Tara/Pearse area and also the Heuston area at the peak times. Seems pretty congested to me and if the Dart 10 min was operating properly like you say I don`t think there is any more slack. If I`m wrong feel welcome to correct me.

    i think one of the biggest problems in IR is the manyana factor amongst staff. If that was cleared up you could make real progress


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    #37
    jhenno78
    Closed Accounts Posts: 208 ✭✭jhenno78


    @Jamie

    Others here know much more about this than i do, but there is indeed congestion. Looking around the sub, some of the most referenced issues are congestion at Connolly, general lack of quad-tracking in/around Dublin, rolling stock and further electrification of commuter routes. This stuff is the real guts of what's limiting capacity/frequency.

    Now Irish rail might well be their own worst enemies, but the stuff that's in their control is small-fries compared to the issues above.

    People might be happy to pay higher fares, but not when they won't see any benefit from it for 10+ years!


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    #38
    lufties
    Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭lufties


    jhenno78 wrote: »
    And is that a fair comparison to dublin/thurles? Your example is something more like greystones to dublin...if greystones had an international airport. That journey is, I think 155 for the month?

    I meant in the comparison of time taken, from clapham to Brighton is a similar time as Dublin to thurles. Its also a high demand route, but its still reasonably priced.


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    #39
    Reputable Rog
    Registered Users Posts: 2,082 ✭✭✭Reputable Rog


    Drifter50 wrote: »
    Can`t answer you that, I`m not familiar enough with the train operators there. All I know is its usually a 3 car or 6 car EMU with DB decals on it. I`ve also seen similiar units with DB decals operating around Eindhoven and Utrecht in NL. Before you ask no, not the DB IC intercity trains that carry on through to Germany

    Is this the logo you saw? IMG_7651.PNG


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    #40
    jhenno78
    Closed Accounts Posts: 208 ✭✭jhenno78


    lufties wrote: »
    I meant in the comparison of time taken, from clapham to Brighton is a similar time as Dublin to thurles. Its also a high demand route, but its still reasonably priced.

    It's also nearly twice the distance and much lower volume. Your concerns were very well addressed above(by Vic08).
    High-demand != expensive here, it implies better ecconomies of scale.

    At best you're saying "there should be a better fair structure"...maybe, but that can be done equally well public or private.


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    #41
    end of the road
    Registered Users Posts: 28,998 ✭✭✭✭end of the road


    lufties wrote: »
    I meant in the comparison of time taken, from clapham to Brighton is a similar time as Dublin to thurles. Its also a high demand route, but its still reasonably priced.

    it's a similar time, but not a similar distance from what i understand, with dublin thurles being a longer distance. the brighton main line from what i understand runs more like a outer suburban operation then a long distance inter city or regional operation. so it's not a fair comparison.

    ticking a box on a form does not make you of a religion.



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    #42
    Losty Dublin
    Registered Users Posts: 13,003 ✭✭✭✭Losty Dublin


    jhenno78 wrote: »
    And is that a fair comparison to dublin/thurles? Your example is something more like greystones to dublin...if greystones had an international airport. That journey is, I think 155 for the month?

    2 years ago I flew into Gatwick on a day trip. Before we flew I checked into train fares into central London. Prices went from about £8 to a whopping £270, and these were train service specific single fare at that :eek::eek::eek:

    In the end a little birdie told me to ask nicely at a London Transport counter and I got use a return ticket plus a seven zone Bus/Rail ticket day pass for £11.85.


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    #43
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    lufties wrote: »
    I travelled daily from Clapham junction to Gatwick daily for 6 months. Weekly tickets worked out quite cheap as I recall. The frequency was very good, as was the Punctuality 90% of the time.

    So? That has nothing to do with the question I asked. It's far more cost effective for someone to run a bus than to run a train here.


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    #44
    Jamie2k9
    Registered Users Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭Jamie2k9


    Losty Dublin wrote: »
    2 years ago I flew into Gatwick on a day trip. Before we flew I checked into train fares into central London. Prices went from about £8 to a whopping £270, and these were train service specific single fare at that :eek::eek::eek:

    In the end a little birdie told me to ask nicely at a London Transport counter and I got use a return ticket plus a seven zone Bus/Rail ticket day pass for £11.85.

    Day returns are about 16 quid (walk up) and not service specific and Oyser Cards get this price on the Gatwock Express.


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