Possible safety risk?
 

I took note tonight of a possibly dangerous practise that happens at Clonsilla some evenings. I've seen it happen once last week as well.

The 21:10 Pearse Maynooth is scheduled to arrive at Clonsilla just before the 21:45 Clonsilla M3 Parkway. The latter train waits in the siding just east of the level crossing and then pulls into the platform after the Maynooth train has left.

But what I've seen is that the M3 Parkway train will cross the LC and enters the platform while the Maynooth train is still departing and most of it is still on the platform. A fair distance is maintained between the two trains, but if the Maynooth train were to suddenly stop, a rear end collision is possible- there's no signal protection, it's all based on the reactions of the M3 Parkway driver.

It seems like a big no-no to me to have two trains in the same signalling section(the Maynooth train hasn't cleared the signal at the west end of Clonsilla by the time the M3 Parkway train makes its move).

Doesn't sound safe and I guess a video would be needed to check this out.

Rail rules do allow for something known as "calling on" which allows a train, to pull into a platform which already contains a train. Heuston platforms 2-8, Connolly platform 4 and platform 2 at Athlone are certainly equipped for this to my knowledge

Back in the old days in Rosslare in the morning an empty train would move to the already occupied platform so you had a Waterford and Dublin train in the same platform at the same time

That happoned in Heuston today. A 3 car on plt 2 and a 6 car pulled n front of it.

The procedure is absolutely safe and entirely within the rules. The second train is running on the authority of a subsidiary signal which indicates that the line ahead may be occupied. Same idea as joining trains at Athlone except in this instance tre trains don't join !

It is quite common in Northern Ireland. If you visit Belfast Central during the rush hour, you regularly see trains stacked behind each other on the platforms. The interchange at Coleraine for the Portrush line also generally involves one train pulling up behind another.

Ever been to birmingham new street? 3 trains to a platform in some cases!