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Unread 09-12-2016, 11:42   #42
Thomas J Stamp
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: The Home of Hurling
Posts: 2,708
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eddie View Post
Why is it not possible to book Dublin to Limerick via this line? I know it's slower and requires a change, but there are plenty of other examples where longer journey times via non-direct routes are offered eg Dublin to Waterford via Limerick Junction or Dublin to Ennis via Athenry. Looks like there are 2 daily trains from Dublin that connect at Ballybrophy.

You can only book Dublin to Castleconnell (the last stop before Limerick), so presumably you'd need to pay extra on board to go to Limerick.

When visiting towns across Ireland it's more interesting to go a different route in each direction if you have the time.

Even assuming only a small take up, it should reduce the reported per passenger sudsidy quite a bit.
that would be a very small demographic to build an economic case for keeping the line - and make no mistake, it is a beatiful line to travel on, if only it would allow you to go on times which make sense to the public and not the drivers schedule.

Just remember that the 630 ex limerick splits in two at nenagh, one car trundles along to Ballybrophy to arrive at around twenty to nine (one crew) the other (with another crew) trundles back to limerick to get in at 8.45 - a time which is perfectly useless to many people as Colbert station is not exactly in the city centre for commuters - not that this matters one jot because the return train leaves before 5pm!!!!

it is a terrible joke of a timetable - one which is made for the convinence of Irish Rail not you and I.

What do the crew from that 8.40 arrival do in Ballybrophy for the hour and a half the train sits around waiting for the passengers coming off the Dublin train at 10.05? Are there beds in the station for them?

the evening train leaves colbert at five to five to connect with the 6pm ex Heuston - no other reason. I've done that connection. Myself and usually three others. So, how many potential customers are they ignoring by having that train leave at 530 instead for example and going for the 7pm ex Heuston instead (or, shock horror, ignoring the bloody connection altogether?)

We have long believed at this line exists solely to be closed - it is the classic low hanging fruit scenario. Given that we have presented the alternative running (as outlined in a previous post of mine above) to IE and the DoT which would actually bring passengers (maybe not many but more than there is now) onto the line and nothing has happened you can make your own conclusions.
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