Late Night Christmas DART services
 

After a gap of nearly 10 years its back finally

http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4964&p=116&n=237

That's very good of them to treat it as a normal-price journey including being free for pass-holders. Let's hope it goes well so that it can be extended in future.

That is good news!

Doubt they will take free travel passes, will have to check

1 extra train in each direction, no service to Greystones (which was included the last time the night dart ran).

will probably be a 2 or 4 carriage train so the southbound one at least will be jammed.

its something, but its not much...

Maybe no-one used it to Greystones last time which is why it's not included this time?

IE saying on twitter that running past Bray would require extra signalling staff and if it's correct it's a cost they could do without.

Can't see welfare passes being accepted as it's commercially run.

Greystones would require extra signalling staff plus would need to get the train back to Bray

The signalling between Bray and Drogheda is staffed 24 hours anyway

So why not go to Drogheda ?

Lack of demand, higher running costs, need to staff Drogheda station

Possibly the existence of Bus Éireann Nightrider route 101N (Dublin-Balbriggan-Drogheda plus several places in between) may also be a factor.

The proposed late DART operation is itself minimalist and suggests Irish Rail don't expect much demand. Based on the relative usage of the 2330 Pearse/Dundalk and north and southbound DARTS around the same time I would suggest there might be more demand for a northern line service than for DART.

Nonetheless it is a toe in the water and commendable that normal fares and ticketing apply,

If the service is repeated in the future consideration could be given to omitting the Pearse to Malahide DART and instead operating a Pearse to Drogheda service (which could also serve all stations between Connolly and Malahide).

Why would you want to serve all stations from Connolly to Malahide ? Obvious arrangement would be a 0030 to Drogheda, non-stop from Connolly to Clongriffin, followed by a 0035 to Howth serving all stations.

Agreed especially with a diesel, doing an all shacks service would be very slow.

I fully expect any such service to be DART leading, causing an outbreak of apoplexy among rail-watchers watching the diesel stumble along behind. :D

Not sure what the previous post means - or am I taking it too seriously ! Still I suppose fare paying punters shouldn't be so ungrateful as to whinge about operational incompetence. Does that meet your definition of apoplexy ?

Actually the DART should go first, followed by the Commuter, such that there is a good connection at Howth Junction. It would mean that people could get from locations other than the city centre.

Ok, fair enough, then DART goes at 0030, Drogheda train at 0045 not the normal nonsense of DART at 0030, and Drogheda train at 0033.

Don't imagine there would be much pick-up business at the intermediate stations but yes why not provide the option. My initial issue was why stop the Drogheda train at all stations between Connolly and Malahide.

Anyway it is all hypothetical as there is no late Drogheda service, although, of course, the Malahide DART could run limited-stop to Howth Junction or do an all stations service at 0100 instead of having northbound departures at 0030 and 0035.

The lateness of the hour that I posted at can be blamed for me not having thought it through fully!

Indeed a Drogheda train could run non-stop between Connolly and Howth Junction with the Howth-bound DART preceding it to give connectional possibilities from Raheny etc...

You see Inniskeen, if it worked too well it might have to be done EVERY YEAR. That would never do :D

@James Howard: you can get a bus in Toronto at 4am and it costs exactly the same as 4pm. No "public transit sin tax" here.

Not being familiar with Toronto I don't know if they have the same problems with threatening, abusive and violent behaviour late at night as we have hear but I suspect it isn't as bad.

It is common practice in Ireland to charge extra late at night to pay for security and insurance. This is done for transport, pubs and even in food outlets. This security has to be provided and so has to be paid for.

As somebody who is highly unlikely to take a late night DART, while it is nice to see Irish Rail provide it, I would rather that my already expensive commuter fare not be put towards subsidising a discount late-night DART service. I think that a 12:30 service is one thing and is close enough to normal operating hours that normal fares are reasonable as a one-off, but when you get beyond 1AM, normal price service becomes untenable really. The service this year can probably be written off as an exercise in marketing as way to generate good-will and as a way to judge the feasibility of operating such a service more regularly.

It would also be very nice to see a Friday night service past Maynooth that leaves Dublin later than 1905 but I guess we can whistle for that.

I spent several months in Tokyo about 15 years ago and even they shut down for 4 hours a night leading to quite a few mad nights out where you just stay out until the first train.

Any feedback on 1st night? I went for a nitelink at 2am, and there was huge demand with completely full buses. Large queues for taxis.

I will be on it next Friday hopefully

Seems someone at IE liked that idea, they have a DART-, all stops to Howth at 0130 and a Drogheda train, all stops from Howth Jnc to Drogheda at 0145. New Year's Eve.

http://www.irishrail.ie/xmasdarts

And a 01:40 pearse to maynooth :)

First night feedback
 

On Friday night (13/12/2013) I reached Dublin last thing on one bus and was making an onward journey less than an hour later on one of JJ Kavanagh’s late services from George’s Quay (near Tara Street station). So rather than a long wait streetside, sampling one of the late night DARTs kept me occupied!

Entering Connolly slightly after midnight (now Sat 14/12) I glanced at the main board and was a little concerned that apart from one train (an arrival at 00.05 I think) there were no other trains displayed.

I checked with the IÉ member of staff at the ticket gates who confirmed that the 00.30 to Bray was operating and would depart from Platform 6. After spending a few minutes in the main concourse and topping up my Leapcard I duly proceeded to the platform. There were several people already there and two security personnel.

Further passengers came bit by bit – mainly individuals but a few duos also. A few people chatted but there was no untoward behaviour of any sort and it felt quite safe.

A long DART arrived into platform 6 at what I recall was a tad before 00.20. The destination was soon set and it became available for boarding. The platform information screens displayed the details of the trains. The DART was also announced over the public address.

The 00.30 to Bray departed Connolly at 00.32 with what I’d reckon was somewhere in the teens to into the twenties onboard. Around 20-30 remained waiting on the platform for the northbound DARTs. At Tara Street a good crowd (at least 30 – could have been 50 or more) boarded the Bray-bound DART that I alighted from and there were around 20-30 intending passengers on the northbound platform. Again no rowdy behaviour of any sort was evident.

So first impressions are that the initiative is successful. Presumably the displaying of the late DARTs on the departure board at Connolly can be addressed relatively easily. I also saw posters promoting the DARTs in the station. Perhaps the next step is a brand for these night DART and suburban services.

There appears to have been a minor mistake in the original press release regarding the Drogheda train being at 01.45.

The Journey Planner showed and continues to show it to be at 01.50 ex Pearse and the press release has apparently been adjusted to reflect this.