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Unread 04-06-2009, 08:08   #33
finnyus
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Location: Cork City/Midleton/Mallow
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From today's Irish Examiner:

Lines crossed for commuter train timetable

By Sean O'Riordan

Thursday, June 04, 2009

IT was supposed to be about connectivity - but Iarnród Éireann has its lines crossed again.

Unfortunately, the planned new Cork-Midleton train timetable - launched last week in a blaze of photograbbing opportunism by Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey - isn't all it's cracked up to be.

On Monday week last, the minister produced the timetable but, farcically, couldn't say exactly when the €75 million service would start.

Now it also transpires that Iarnród Éireann - which prided itself on ensuring the Midleton service connected with Dublin-bound trains - was forced to admit a faux pas.

The blunder was spotted by eagle-eyed TD David Stanton, who was obviously checking "connectivity" to ensure an early morning arrival at the Dáil.

He contacted Iarnród Éireann when he noticed that the first train departing Midleton in the mornings was at approximately 7.15am.

"It would be due to arrive in Cork at 7.38am, eight minutes after the departure of the Cork to Dublin train," said Deputy Stanton said.

He pointed out that the 7.30am train from Cork to Dublin is the service most people travelling to the capital on business for the day would use.

"It makes no sense at all to make this very important service unavailable to passengers connecting from Midleton," said the FG deputy.

He pointed out that in his opinion Iarnród Éireann had got its priorities for the first trains the wrong way round.

Few people would be travelling from Cork to Midleton at that time in the morning, whereas commuter traffic in the opposite direction would be far greater,

A spokesman for Iarnród Éireann said they were looking closely at Mr Stanton's suggestion.

"I contacted Iarnród Eireann. I have been advised that they are now looking to reverse the proposed schedule, with the first train leaving from Midleton at 6.45am to arrive in Cork at 7.07am. This would have commuters from Midleton and Carrigtwohill in Kent Station with plenty of time for the Cork-Dublin service," said the deputy.

Read more: "| Irish Examiner" - http://irishexaminer.ie/ireland/line...xzz0HRjTkrGs&A


What he says makes perfect sense! Otherwise Midleton to Dublin on the current Midleton timetable means that the first train possible to Dublin is the 08:30 Cork to Mallow and then the 08:57 Tralee train to Dublin - three changes... not really appealing to anyone!
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