Carrick on Suir works
In my view the works at Carrick are likely to be independent of the timetable as:
1. no trains pass each other at any point between Limerick Junction and Waterford whether under the current three a day trains or under the proposed two a day service.
2. the draft timetable is subject to the approval of the National Transport Authority.

Carrick on Suir passenger facilities
In terms of facilities for intending passengers if in the future Carrick has no staff whatsoever in attendance it's unlikely the waiting room and toilets will be able to be opened and closed (unless a local arrangement can be devised).
There's nowhere sheltered on the platform so it's likely a shelter (similar to the one at Cahir) will have to be erected on the platform.

Limerick Junction - interesting situation as there are a lot of proposed train movements around that time. Would anticipate the ex Waterford train will occupy platform 2 (18.05), then the ex Limerick train occupies platform 3 (18.11). The 16.25 Heuston-Limerick will have to use the main platform (1) (18.13) but presumably if it's not exactly on time it's going to entail the 17.20 Cork-Dublin being held at a signal outside the station (or alternatively the 16.25 Dublin-Limerick itself being held at a signal). On the face of it it does however look as if there may be undue potential for knock-on delays by the very close interval between the 16.25 Heuston-Limerick and 17.20 Cork-Heuston. Perhaps the draft working timetable has a slightly greater margin between these trains than is shown in the public timetable. Possibly the reason for proposing that the 16.25 Heuston-Limerick be altered to serve the Junction (even though a Cork-bound train serves the Junction only around fifteen minutes after it) is because the 16.25 serves additional intermediate stations which are not served by the Cork-bound service and that it has been assessed that there is demand from these stations to Limerick Junction at that time of day.

16.25 to Limerick should arrive at 18.10 and depart at 18.13. (takes 21 mins for 16.00 to Cork between both stops assume same for Limerick). If there is a delay of 5-10 mins to any service it causes a great deal of hassle as the 17.00 is due in at 18.27 so if the 17.20 is held up much then the 17.00 will be delayed and it will just be the usual story for the current 17.30 ex Cork always 10-20 minutes delayed most days at the junction.

I think this is a very good point raised regarding the 16.25 being proposed to call at the Junction.

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I suppose cost-cutting is the name of the game on all fronts so perhaps no automation of Cregg Road LC.

Sounds like a typical irish rail arrangement.

there are non-passenger moves, such as the movement of wagons between Waterford and Limerick. Presumably those can be squeezed in?

only three weeks to go and still no confirmation of timetable - impossible to book a train online after the 18th January - a joke of a company!

There is no active proposal to automate the level crossing at Carrick on Suir. There has been a degree of local agitation concerning delays at the crossing with one local politician even dragging Vradkar to witness the trauma allegedly experienced by motorists.

Expect Irish Rail to devise a solution that futher marginalises the railway to save a handful of motorists a few minutes every now and again.

Limerick/Waterford is yet another line where a lot of public money has been spent with no substantive result. The proposed timetable from mid-January is yet another step towards irrelevance. Ironically this is one of the few routes where Irish Rail could run a relevant and competitive service, but appear to have no wish to do so.

Seems only a matter of time before Waterford is reduced to a similar status to Rosslare with services to and from Dublin and a greatly dimished infrastructure.

I`d say the Cabin in Carrick will be come a gate box and who ever is on duty will open the waiting room and toliets .
If its removed as a Block Post , all turnouts will be removed ...

Considering tipp town station is being CTC upgraded , and 2 level crossings east of tipp town were recently automated in the last month...
you would they would keep Carrick open , this is a regrettable decision ....

Just curious - what two level crossings east of Tipp have been automated ?

Have an inkling it may be Bansha and Cappagh LCs but haven't been on the westerly part of the line for a few months.

Grange was one of them cant remember the other ..

Long, long ago there used to be a 2000ish departure from Galway to Dublin via Mullingar and taking all of 5 hours! It was the mail train and had a single passenger carriage attached. It was there in 1980 and probably for some years after that.

Interesting, I thought there was only one automated crossing on this line (at Ballindine near Carrick on Suir) or perhaps two, if you include Newrath (shared with the Waterford/Kilkenny line).

Could there be a confusion with Grange on the main line at MP 104 or thereabouts? This used to be an AHB crossing but was converted to CCTV-monitored 4-barrier and incorporated into the Limerick Junction resignalling a couple of years ago.

Indeed Grange is on the mainline as opposed to the Waterford one.

Ballydine/Ballindine LC which I'm guessing is the one in the distance here was converted this year. According to the same issue of IRN CWR was then at 81pc of the LJ-Waterford line. Nice to see them racking up the capital spend to justify closure :rolleyes:

on the working timetable it was under Limerick jcntn - Waterord section

It seems there is a grange on the waterford line (http://www.irishrail.ie/index.jsp?p=126&n=243)- is located at the former Grange station.

This arrangement is a little tight. Not sure why the 1625 stops - three possible reasons

• To waste time (can't make Dromkeen to cross the 1745 from Limerick)
  
• To provide a connection from Waterford to Limerick (saves 21 minutes)
  
• To provide a connection to Cork from intermediate stations served by the 1625.

Incidentally the re-casting of the Cork/Dublin schedule means that there is generally at least twenty minutes between services at the mainline platform in Limerick Junction. This minimises conflict between services but means that Cork/Limerick & Limerick/Cork connections are poor - similar waiting time as applies to Limerick/Waterford and Waterford/Limerick connections.

A further effect of recasting the Cork/Dublin service is that most Limerick Junction/Limerick trains are delayed about 8 minutes at Dromkeen to cross a Limerick/Limerick Junction service.

What? You expect IE to update more than one service at a time? :D

From irishrail.ie:

02 January 2013

Online bookings from 20th January 2013 onwards are currently unavailable.

A new rail timetable is scheduled to be introduced on this date, and is currently being finalised subject to the approval of the National Transport Authority.

We hope to have the new timetable available as soon as possible to enable bookings to be made. Iarnród Éireann apologises for any inconvenience caused.

nothing short of scandalous

New timetable loaded from 20 Jan, not bookable yet but they have added no changes I suggested, has anyone had there implemented.

Only change I have seen is the 17:20 Mon-Fri Heuston - Newbridge now runs to Portlaoise

You can't see it because its faster leave Heuston on a train after it and connect down the line somewhere as the 17:25, 17:30 and 17:35 all overtake it

scandalous failure to respond to demand/changes

as an example I emailed IR about moving the 06.00 Cobh-Cork (no one uses it at present) to 06.30 (arr Cork 06.54) to connect with the new 07.00 Cork-Heuston. nothing !

The figures will show that there was always passengers getting the 07.00 Cobh-Cork and connecting with the old 07.30 Cork-Heuston.

Now we have to get up for a 06.00 train and wait 35 mins in Cork or drive in at 6.30 despite having a yearly ticket

Disgraceful

Have just spotted two minor items as follows:

* 20.10 (draft & current actual) Heuston-Carlow (Mon-Fri commuter) deferred to 20.15.
* 19.05 (draft) Ballybrophy - Limerick via Nenagh (Mon-Sat) advanced to 19.00.

Annoyed by the new timetable on several fronts but don't wish to comment further - it's at least good that other posters also feel similarly let down/disappointed.

Another change in the 1930 Heuston-Portlaoise in the draft is deferred to 1945 leaving a long gap between 1835 and 1945 for Kildare and Monasterevin (1855 only goes to Newbridge). Current timetable has 1840, 1915,1940.

Otherwise new timetable is a significant improvement for Kildare with more and faster peak services. No more the dawdling 1725 taking 41min or the 0600 from Waterford pausing at Parkwest - both held by local services.

As far as I can see once the draft was taken down it was just sent to the NTA and very few suggestions looked at I can't see anyone looking for the 17.20 to be extended to Portlaoise, would say its down to driver based there or for scheduled maintance/clean etc. The timetable went straight to the NTA and with Christmas hoildays it delayed the process and thats why its only today that it went up. Its a discrase that 20 Jan for a start date was decided when IE know full well it would cause problems. If the draft was issued in mid November as stated by them to me twice then a 20 Jan start date would be fine.

Just two changes I sent in:
18.25 Waterford-Hueston arrive Kilkenny 19.00 depart 19.02.
17.35 Heuston-Waterford arrive Kilkenny 19.05 depart 19.10.
I told them to change the 19.02 to 19.06 but no they couldn't even manage that even though the schedule is timetabled for a 19.06 departure.

18.05 Waterford-Heuston arrives 20.20. Takes 2h15m for the train when all the other trains up take 2h10m. They decided to allow 30 minutes for a 20 (3 other services) between Newbridge-Heuston. Just why do this when they know full well that the current 18.05 service arrives in at 20.20 when it departes Newbridge at 19.59 every week and the new timetable has a departure at 19.52. Just what sort of plebs are putting the schedule together?

Realistically the consultation should have started start October,November would be final changes 2 weeks, then 2 weeks for NTA sign off, then six weeks notice to public, simple and logical but sadly that isn't what goes on in Irish Rail

Looking beyond the new timetable. Next steps...
 

Now that the new timetable, with its good and bad points, is finalised it may be interesting to discuss realistic and attainable further steps that may be a possibility for 2014.

From previous discussions a few issues, in my view, need to be looked at. Among them:

* Speed limit increases on sections of other lines: the scope (or lack thereof) for the speed limit on some sections on other lines to be raised (e.g. the Rosslare line).

* Additional station potential ? If there are one or two provincial locations where there may be scope to provide a low cost station and tap new business. A better way to look at this may be if there was to be a list of five locations that might see a station within the next two decades where they might be.

* Feeder buses: The scope for feeder buses in certain provincial locations to provide a seamless and integrated service (e.g. there was a plan for a rail feeder bus from Fermoy/Mitchelstown to Mallow - http://www.buseireann.ie/news.php?id=538&month=May. Similarly Drogheda station is a long walk from West Street yet there is no bus.

surely it is pertinent to ask the following questions of Irish Rail

1. How many submissions were received on foot of the draft timetable

2. How many changes were made as a direct result of a submission(s)

3. What was the purpose of the consultation period if the submissions were ignored ?

Timetable is now bookable.

Just having a scan through and it could be a mistake but the 18.35 to Waterfod has bieng dropped to a 3 car set as has the 07.10 up. Not I can understand the 07.10 up but not the 18.35 down. Just where are the economics to drop a busy service and keep a 6 car set on the 18.20 up service thas empty?

They have very high hopes for Galway services by going from a 3 to 6 car set on the 19.35 service.

It also looks like ICR will remain on the 09.20, 16.20 from Cork and 13.00, 21.00 down as well as the 09.00. The 08.00 now showing as a Mark4 everyday.

Where does it say that a service will be a 3-car?

Go as far as selecting seats and it shows 3 carrages. It only shows 3 when its a 3 and 6 when its a 6 and 5 if its a first class set.

The display online is NO indication of the train length

For operational reasons the website will always show the seating layout of a non first class service as if it is a 3 coach train.

This avoids non existant seats where a 2*3 is used instead of 6

If you look at the 16.35 and 17.35 services they have 2*3 on show when means it will be joined, I don't see why they would leave out the 18.35 and 07.10 up in the mornings to add at a lather date. There will be changes of course but seems strange to leave it out now.

I asked IR on twitter and they couldn't give an anser but said they will look into it further.

One other change is the 05.55 connection from Tralee to Heuston will depart at 04.55 on Monday only to allow an arrival in Heuston 08.30 and not 09.30 as with other days.

The default length of non first class service is 3

That has to be overridden in the timetable

Jacko (#111 above) complained about the bad connection form Cobh into the new 0700 from Cork to Dublin. Well I just noticed that for nearly all Cobh-Dublin connections the Cobh train arrives at 24 mins past the hour and the Dublin train leaves at 20 mins past: so there are over a dozen instances of totally lousy connections at Cork.

I suppose the excuse will be "ah sure there is no demand for it". I'm not surprised, given the waiting time.

You can't win as Midelton trains connect well