[Colm Moore]

https://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=991

New Public Consultation Process for Rail Timetable Changes Introduced: Check Draft schedules now by Corporate Communications
10th January 2011

Iarnród Éireann has announced a new process for major rail schedule revisions which will ensure that customers have a say in timetable changes before they are formally adopted.

The new process will see draft revisions posted online on this website, and provide a response form for customers to express opinions on changes proposed, or any other schedule issues they wish to see addressed. These are then examined before the final timetable is adopted.

The first customers to benefit from this new process will be those on:
- Intercity and Commuter routes to and from Heuston Station
- Cork-Tralee and Cork commuter routes
- Regional routes such as Galway to Limerick, Waterford to Limerick Jn, and Limerick to Ballybrophy via Nenagh

Draft schedules are now on this website by clicking this link http://www.irishrail.ie/contact_us/timetable_comments.asp – and we are asking customers for their opinions on the proposed schedule over the next four weeks.

These will then be examined to identify major issues and improvements suggested by customers. Iarnród Éireann will endeavour to implement customers’ suggestions where possible. Suggested alterations which cannot be implemented at this timetable change will be retained in a database for consideration at future timetable reviews.

It would then be intended to implement the new schedules, incorporating customer feedback, by April of this year.

This new initiative is the ideal way for customers to see the changes we propose, and for us to hear our customers views on the changes, and on existing schedule issues they wish to see addressed.

It will be easy to access for everybody, ensuring we get the widest possible level of feedback.

We would encourage all customers on these routes to take a few minutes to look at their route and the proposed changes, and to let us know what they think – whether they are completely happy with the schedule we are proposing, or whether it creates difficulties for them.

We will be using this process for all major schedule revisions in the future, with draft schedules for Connolly Station routes, including Intercity, DART and Commuter, to be published in the coming weeks.

Highlights of the new schedule proposals include:
- Journey time improvements, including on some Heuston-Cork and Limerick-Galway services
- Improved connections between Limerick-Galway and key Galway-Dublin services
- Improved Athenry-Galway commuter services, and new evening Galway-Ennis & Ennis-Galway commuter service
- Improved connections between Waterford-Limerick Junction trains and Intercity services
- Extra Sunday Cork-Midleton trains

While these are the more significant changes, Iarnród Éireann advises all customers on all routes to view the draft schedules, as many services will see departure time changes, or changes to stopping patterns of individual changes which may affect their journeys.