Delays going into and leaving Carlow train station
 

Are they ever going to do anything about these delays? Every single train journey is delayed either going into Carlow station or leaving it.

Last night for instance we sat in Carlow station for nearly 25 minutes, no explanation, nothing (what's new there?), then as soon as a train pulled up at the other platform we pulled away shortly afterwards. Is there any explanation for these delays and are they doing anything to remedy this?

Also, can someone explain the 5 minute stop in Kilkenny station, what is this for? It seems to me to just be a smoking break for the drivers? It can be very frustrating when the train is delayed anyway that you then have to sit in Kilkenny station while the IE employees hop off for a smoke.

I know these probably seem like little issues but when there are delays every single day in the same spots I don't understand how it's not simple to just come up with a solution that will serve rail users?

Athy to Carlow stretch is a single track, so the train had to wait at Carlow to allow the incoming train to clear the line. However, Athy is only about 10 mins from Carlow, so if IE used their heads they could have held the incoming train at Athy and let your train get to Athy first....but that would take common sense.

Kilkenny is the most ridiculous train set up ever designed. To have a train have to come into the station, then turn around and go back out the same way is crazy. Surely they could have reloacted the station over the past few years out of its current location to somewhere with through traffic?
As far as I know to change the train to go the opposite direction is something which can be done instantly by the driver, the only delay should be his/her walk from one cab to the other.

All trains must reverse at Kilkenny, originally passengers from Waterford to Dublin actually travelled via New Ross and then via the Rosslare line to Dublin or Waterford Kilkenny Portlaois Dublin (which doesn't require any reversals)

Killkenny is effectively one corner of a triangle, with Carlow to the north and Thomastown to the south. Normally allow 1 minute per coach to change ends, 6 coach trains 5 minutes is reasonable. It used to be 10 minutes at Kilkenny

25 minute delays at Carlow are not on, if we knew which train you were on we can take a look at what is causing it and what we can seek changed.

It's the 6.35 train from hueston to waterford monday to friday, in fairness most days it's usually 5-10 minutes but in my opinion that's still too much.

The thing i don't understand about the change at kilkenny taking so long is that there is a similar set up at killarney that doesn't take any time at all?

Surely it doesn't take that long to disable the console, secure the cab, walk the length of the train, open the cab, enable the console, check things are in order and pull out of the station. Surely a 6-car train shouldn't take twice as long as a 3-car train?

If the driver can have a smoke, then surely there is too much time alloted?

Killarney is interesting case as there is a century old practice of the driver not changing ends and reversing in/out blind. The current timetable is highly unrealistic allocating only a minute, its a historical hold over from the old days when a change of ends was not required

Time wise, the industry standard is to allow a time which is a function of the train length, and on an ICR the driver must reset the train computer on an end change. The time is not excessive 4 or 5 minutes is allowed, which is down from the 10-12 minutes allocated in the past. The catering trolley may be loaded / unloaded at Kilkenny as well which does take time. The times are padded anyway and leaving Kilkenny a minute early only means a minute delay at Ballyhale or Muine Bheag for the other train.

The approach to Waterford is taken at a ridiculously slow pace, several minutes could be clawed back there

We will look into the 6:35 and see what is going on

The trolley changes at Carlow.

It has improved a lot it starts to slow down as it passes the main yard as it used to slow before the old N9 level crossing.

The signals in Athy need to be improved a lot as it takes ages for them to change.

18:05 ex Waterford due to arrive Athy at 19:28 and depart at 19:34
18:40 ex Dublin due to arrive Athy at 19:33 and depart at 19:33

The 18:05 stops outside the station for a few mins when the 18:40 is no where near the station.
The 18:40 always stooped the other side of the station for 5mins if not 10mins. After it arrives it departs and the 18:05 is still there for a further 5mins waiting for signals to change.

18:05 ex Waterford due to arrive Athy at 19:28 and depart at 19:45 at the earliest.
18:40 ex Dublin due to arrive Athy at 19:38 and depart at 19:39.

It's a joke at this stage.

An aggressive approach would be to swap crews at Kilkenny. The turnaround time would be limited to how long to change control to the other cab and the other crew to disembark. Killarney has the same issue right? Were IE to operate through services at Limerick it would be the same there too.

Another 15 minute delay at carlow this evening:mad:

Is there a delay to allow the footbridge overhead to be cleared of people before the train departs? The train that gets into Carlow every evening at 19:35 always stops on platform 2 and everyone has to traipse up and over the ancient footbridge that looks as if it's never had an inspection in its life...(or even the Irish Rail version of an inspection).

The train waits for the 18:20 from Waterford to arrive, which is due 6 minutes after the 18:35 gets in

The 18:25 was pushed to 18:35 in part to reduce this delay as the 18:20 gets to Carlow quicker than before

Also an unexplained ten minute delay sitting outside waterford station. Felt like the train was trying to move but couldn't. I wonder about the tracks that are sometimes covered in water from the rising water levels in the river, does this become a major problem in the winter months?

Got to carlow station 2 minutes early this evening at 7.34, at 7.46 a train pulled in on the other platform and we pulled out straight away surprisingly, usually we sit there for at least another 5 minutes. When are IE going to tackle this problem? It's extremely frustrating!

Then we didn't reach muine bheag until 7.57 and didn't leave until 8.01.

I don't understand why at this point IE can't make a short announcement to say that due to delays at carlow because of ... this will have a knock on effect on the arrival time at waterford station, we now estimate our time of arrival as x. But I do know why they can't make an announcement like this, because this is IE and there will probably be additional delays:mad:

It's no generally not a problem. From what I can remember trains services were only affected for a day or two during winter 09. The water on the tracks was there since the high tide on Friday. Generally it doesn't flood with the high tide.

Well that's something jamie, thanks for that

09:05 Waterford - Heuston stopped in Carlow for 18 minutes

20 minutes (so far) sitting in carlow station tonight

Was there a reason given??

18:05 in Athy for 20mins on Sunday night.
16:35 stopped at Cherryville Junction for 20mins last Friday waiting for 15:00 from Waterford to pass.

Do these long delays happen on other lines???

It wasn't quite 20 minutes in Athy. 10 maybe, 15 max. Waiting on a down train.

We stopped outside the station for a few minutes and we were at least 16minutes waiting in the Station.

Arrived in Athy at 19:29 - depart at 19:45

Just like the passengers on the 17:40 to Waterford on Sunday arrived in Muine Beag at 18:58 it was at least 10min wait. As the 18:05 to Dublin didn't depart until 19:08 (5 minutes late) even though we arrived on time at 19:03. The 17:40 was still waiting on the platform.

Being stopped in a station for more than 5minutes is not on.

Even tonight
18:20 - Waterford - Heustion departed Athy 27minutes late (according to Real Time Train Info. How late was the 18:35 to Waterford then???

This is all helpful, key questions

1. How late was the train into Muine Beag
2. How late arriving Waterford

It's not really the point of how late it was but if IE expect people to use trains people want to get places quickly and not be stopped for between for between 5 - 10 minutes waiting for a train.

Take the 16:50 to Heuston.
Around a 7minute wait in Ballyhale.
Around a 9minute wait in Athy.

Thats a total of 16minutes waiting for trains.

I accept that it's a new service and I can see why it takes a lot longer than other services.

IE could add a lot more loops like Ballyhale. Between Cherryville Junction and Kilkenny anyway. It would cost a lot of money but it is badly needed or they could inprove the signals badly.

Its pretty hard to complain if the train is arriving ontime

Ontime comes first, once that is delivered then faster can be looked at. No point going faster with a broken system its more trouble than it is worth.

Last night for instance we didn't get off the train until nearly 9.15. Only found out after I had gotten off the train that the delay was added to by the fact that there was another train parked in our spot delaying us getting into the station. You'd swear waterford station was a hub of commuter trains or something, it's the last train into waterford every evening, how hard is it to ensure it gets in on time????

I seriously doubt irish rail will take a 5/10 minute delay seriously even if it does happen every single night. My train gets in at least 5 minutes late every night. I know this may not seem lke a lot to some people but when you've been travelling all day and spend nearly €150 on travel each week the least you should expect is to get in on time

You should be able to radically improve that amount with monthly / annual tickets.

Monthly ticket is €559 and a weekly ticket is €154. I buy a four day trekker ticket and try and book my 5th day as far in advance as possible to try to get a €10 fare on at least one leg of my journey but some weeks I could spend nearly €140 on tickets other weeks I could spend nearly €130 on tickets.

An annual ticket for the entire IÉ network costs in the vicinity of €3400; if your employer participates in taxsaver you can save up to 51% of that.

Background http://www.railusers.ie/forum/showthread.php?t=12808

Monthly tickets for long journeys are priced very strangely compared to the all route annual ticket

I wouldn't be interested in an annual ticket, as the hope is that this commute won't last that long :rolleyes: also, I'm on a short-term contract which has been renewed as another short-term contract so I don't qualify for taxsaver tickets.

Yes Mark, you're right there but since when did anything IE do make sense?

Sitting in carlow station from 7.35 until 7.55 this evening. Bravo irish rail.

Muine bheag arrived at 20.05 and then went on a go slow but eventually picked up.

Kilkenny at 20.21, left at 20.24.

Thomastown at 20.36, left at 20.37.

Train on a real go slow since carlow.

Go slow from well outside waterford station the whole way in, finally arrived at 21.01

Instead of starting a new topic. I was on the 18.05 to Hesuton on Sunday. We arrived in Kilkenny at 18.42 (1 min early). At 18.48 the driver closed the doors and started to move but was stopped by staff in kilkenny as passengers were still arriving at the station late and buying tickets. People were running in at 18.52 to get tickets. We left at 18.53 Is this acceptable to delay a train when passengers are arriving after the train is scheduled to depart. I have no problem being delayed if passengers were there before 18.48 and were waiting for tickets but staff in Kilkenny need to do there jobs and get trains out on time and not allow passengers to board if there have arrived after the departure.

I have never being on a train that has left Kilkenny on time. Some services arrive up to 5 mins early and still manage to depart late. All you get from Irish Rail is the general crap they tell everyone. They will look into it and get back to you but they do nothing at all.