[2-4/5/2015] Disruption to Northside DART/northern line/enterprise bank holiday w.e.
 

citing engineering works. Heres hoping the planned strike for bus services on 1st may doesnt spill over to rail!

http://www.irishrail.ie/news/service-alterations

Translink had this on their website last week !

It was made clear last night that rail services will operate on May 1st, and that what is planned is a march in the middle of the day rather than a full blown strike.

I would imagine that almost three weeks notice is reasonably adequate though?

Well it is the weekend after next, notice of this type of disruption tends to be very short on IR compared to other systems. It shouldn't really be possible to book tickets without being made aware of planned disruption. If this is the first installment in a series then this should be stated also so that passengers have the option of avoiding the disruption if they wish to do so.

On the positive side it looks as if at least some of the less than perfect track on one of the busiest section of the railway is finally about to be replaced !

Last time I checked the next bank holiday is in three weekends time - not two! ;-)

The timetable had blocked bookings on cross border dating back several weeks.

But really we should have 60-90 days prior notice like the rest of the EU

Yes I did mis-count but we are always told to book well in advance to get the best fare - the point stands that a customer should know at the time of booking what he is getting, not really good enough paying for a train and getting a bus.

If I want to travel by bus then I can go and buy a usually cheaper bus ticket. As I don't like buses I just drive. And when I do that, I am reminded just how comparatively slow the railway option has become, not just because of the motorways but because the railway has decided that time is of little consequence to passengers on some routes.

Will Maynooth commuter service only operate to Connolly ? - from the planned works, it looks like the Pearse Connolly section is out of commission to trains?

As mentioned in the bus strike thread there is an all out bus strike planned for 1st and 2nd may (alongwith the 15th/16th and 29th/30th/31st may 2015)

Irish rail say they will be reviewing options for the planned works

Just in case Irish Rail need a few weeks to magic up drivers Translink unions have announced another one day stoppage for May 6th.

Looks as if IR have backed off the proposed Northern line and Connolly/Pearse closures for May 2nd but will proceed with planned disruption on May 3rd and 4th. So Enterprise, commuter and DART services will observe normal schedule on May 2nd. Planned Heuston side disruption on May 2nd appears to be taking place as previously advised.

Plenty of private operators on all key Heuston Intercity routes, besides pass holders I couldn't see a huge amount flocking to the train because of the price.

Yesterday went relatively well for Irish Rail on the main commuter routes with most services running to time. While DART was significantly busier, most if not all trains were formed by the usual sized sets resulting in levels of overcrowding more typically seen on Drogheda/Dundalk and Maynooth services.

One of the most heavily overcrowded trains was the 1614 Pearse to Drogheda which had well over 600 passengers stuffed into a four car set, but despite at least one dead traction unit managed to operate within two minutes of the none too demanding schedule.

You could be forgiven for thinking the 9pm pearse maynooth last night was a peak hour train. Was a packed 4 coach train.