[03/01/2009] 11:15 Tralee - Mallow
 

Some minimal credit where it's due I suppose...

Caught the 11:15 railcar from Tralee to Mallow, only for it to be delayed for approximately 20 minutes in Farranfore due a signalling failure as announced by the driver with a "help is on the way" tag thrown in on the end, then an additional approx 5 minute delay in Killarney supposedly due to conflicting traffic coming down the line (again announced by the driver, twice).

At that point, I thought that the Cork - Dublin connection departing Mallow at 12:52 would be well and truly gone, but a pleasant surprise approaching Mallow at 13:15 to get an announcement that it was waiting at platform 2, and sure enough it was.

Then I suppose a demonstration of the padding that Irish Rail employs in that we arrived into Heuston 2 minutes before original schedule! Announced proudly by the driver :rolleyes:

This is fairly normal, there is so much slack in the timetable its ridiculous. West of Mallow seems to be a blackspot for signaling faults. Normally the hold is 10 minutes but the 12:30 has as easy schedule

To get from Mallow to Dublin in under 2 hours is quick 74 mph average, that said its still well below what it should be, its a 90/100 mph railway so that kind of speed is no way even close to breaking the limits

If there is any good news is the Mallow Tralee branch has a new 3 car ICR railcar as of last week, another one incoming months and the direct services to go over in coming months as well

The train host isn't meant to do the Ryanair aren't we great we are early line. Its widely accepted that for every 1% cut in journey times more than 1% extra comes in cash, Irish Rail are losing a heap of potential revenue