Numerous delays and breakdowns during first week of August
 

Bad enough that 4 trains are day are cancelled already between Mallow and Milstreet, but then this

Went Heuston - Killarney return for the first time last week, taking advantage of the special offer. :) Of course that means using Dublin-Cork as well. The passengers weren't allowed to board until 3 minutes before departure, and as it departed, we were informed by the on carriage intercom we were using a broken train and would have to get out at the first stop (in Ballybrophy). Apparantly, a door was out of order. This seemed strange as why would that stop a train running? And are there Inter-City trains based in Ballybrophy, that can replace vehicles?

In all my rail travel around Europe, I've never seen a commuter stop such as in Killarney. It includes a terminus for a service that doesn't terminate. :confused: In order to continue it's journey, it has to reverse twice out of it, in order to go up a hill on to Tralee, and down again in order to pick up in Killarney on the way back. :eek:

Perhaps you could answer your own first question - what train was waiting for you in Ballybrophy?

Killarney is not a commuter stop - even in CIE/IE parlance - and it originally was terminus for the line when it was constructed. Why do you have such a problem with the method of operation - how did it inconvenience you any more than any other aspect of the journey? :)

It presumably takes extra time for the shunting operation. And you have to admit it is unconventional.

It does, but it's a lot less bad since the mk3s stopped running the line.

Well at least for loco-driven trains, the driver doesn't have to walk from one end of the train to the other end - which does look faintly ridiculous...

The driver does change ends on pushpulls though.

As for Killarney and its end-change mid-service, no difference from the Dublin-Ennis train when it goes into Limerick, is it? Athenry will also be the same for Limerick-Galway as the curve heads eastward into Athenry (towards the Pale :D ) Isn't Kilkenny a sort of similar arrangement?

Dublin-Ennis is 1/week, though, so they can probably put up with it.

Kilkenny used to have a 10-minute stop for most of the trains while the loco changed ends. When there's a push-pull set, just the driver changes ends, but it takes 4-5 minutes.

I've never seen a terminus in Athenry. Going from there to Limerick should just be a case of changing onto the (no doubt single:rolleyes:) line.

No, with those other places, there is a direct connection from the station to each of the next stations - only through trains are put out. With Killarney, there is no direct connection to Tralee and only passing trains or Mallow-Killarney are convenienced.

isn't that historically because Limerick-Tralee used to be the mainline ? and it was just a goods branch off to Killarney on that line

No: Limerick-Tralee was always a meandering branch line.

The reason was that Mallow Killarney was built first (tourism probably had a lot to do with it). Then when it acme to extending to Tralee, they could not go straight on (the town centre was in the way) so they either had to move the station back towards Mallow (bad for tourism) or else construct a junction outside the station, which they did.

I think the Killarney-Tralee line may have been a separate company, albeit operated by the GSWR from early on.

I dont see why reversining out of Killarny is a big deal lots of stations around europe are the same, Zurich is one obvious one, all trains have to reverse back out.

Fair point

Its one of those strange quirky historical situations, nothing can be done about it now. Does it really make a huge difference to the journey, nope. Staff are well practiced and get the job done quickly and safely

There are much bigger problems out there for passengers

The line to Killarney was initially supposed to be extended on from Killarney Station, westwards through the town to Cahersiveen, but Lord Kenmare objected to it going through his lands. Tralee and Killarney were never meant to be connected by rail until it was decided that the next best option for a line to Cahersiveen would be via Farranfore.

This isn't at all unusual. It happens on a lot of trains in the UK, including Inverness - Thurso - Wick, and a lot of SouthWest trains via Twickenham.

Inverness-Thurso isn't exactly your usual train line :)

It was for seven years... And very often standing room only from Inverness for the first three stops!

Sorry, meant to say "one's usual train line".