But if you just got off the 17:00 from Sligo and want to get to platform 2 its one hell of trip

I wouldn't define Maynooth to be accessible

Maynooth is an odd station. I don't know why they didn't go the whole hog and include lifts when they built the new station. I wonder if IE can point to the current setup and claim to be following the letter of the law (as opposed to the spirit of the law)?

Section M, which defines the rules is dated 2000

Irish Rail's track record in this area has been nothing short of appalling, station accessibilty seems to be a pick and mix with Irish Rail some lightly used stations get the full nine yard deal while busy stations are left in the lurch

However we are probably giving Irish Rail too much credit if they deliberately making the 19:05 train use the accessible platform

Mark, re. platforms used at Maynooth, I got the 16:10 Pearse Longford to Maynooth at Clonsilla yesterday and I noticed that this train too arrived at platform 1 (ticket office side) at Maynooth yesterday. This was even though there was nothing on platform 2. Is this normal for outbound Longford trains to do this as well as outbound Sligo trains?

On single track lines the side with the station building is favoured for use if there is no other train

19:05 was approx 10 mins late this evening.

The 19:50 to Pearse was obviously delayed and the 19:00 ex Pearse was 5 mins delayed.

Yeah, I heard someone complaining on the radio this morning that the gates near Broombridge were down while 4 trains passed!

Couldn't alot of these waiting problems be resolved by double tracking the line After Maynooth? (this might sound like a stupid question), but are there any plans to actually double the line as far as at least Mullingar?

Yes there are plans to put the second track back in beyond Maynooth however as is usual no money to do it

It must be noted the second track from Clonsilla to Maynooth was paid for using the EU grant money for the Green Luas line, with the Luas stuck in red tape they needed to spend the money somewhere. It just goes to show the government commitment to the rail network

All the intercity lines should have started out as 2track with 4 in dublin and west, north

"Should" is such a powerful word, eh? :)

AFAIR a lot of them did ? start out as double-track [ whoops, going off into spotterland ]

I believe it was 2 track at least as far as Athlone via Mullingar, many many years ago.

I have never photographed a train

Twin track line the whole way from Connolly/Broadstone to Galway via Mullingar at the beginning of the last century. But as cost cutting measures from the 1930s onwards it was singled (except passing loops) from Clonsilla onwards.

Note to supporters of privatisation : the railways were private then....

LC

Weren't they private when built as double too? Not sure if you know what you're driving at there.

This train was as usual delayed by 15 mins outside Maynooth this evening.

A few people always get up when the train says next stop Maynooth but you can see the folks used to this delay by keeping their heads buried in a book and waiting the 15 mins for the train to go that extra 500m into the station.

What is the story with this. We were waiting 20 mins outside Maynooth last nite, and about 15 the nite before. It is very frustrating :mad:

It is late almost every night.

There could be a free platform for it to pull into but Irish Rail won't do that so the train must wait frustratingly outside Maynooth each night for the other train coming from Sligo to pass. :mad:

Why what is the point in that?