Maynooth Train yesterday 22/04/08

[Johnny08]

Was anyone else on the Bray to maynooth train yesterday? Supposed to leave connolly at 5:44 or so. We were told to get off the train and switch to the train on platform 6. The Problem was the train had older carraiges and so only 2/3 of the people who were on the Maynooth train could actually get on. It was a joke. No Notification it would happen until we pulled into connolly. Luckily the 6:08 from connolly picked up the passengers, but there was alot of people extremely annoyed. I was not too bad but i could hear people having to phone home and make alternative arrangements to pick up kids etc.

[EmBo]

Yes I was on the same train. The announcement was only made as we were pulling into Connolly Stn. As I was sitting in the middle of a carriage I had no hope at all of boarding the second train, as it was so difficult to get off with all of the people going to Drogheda trying to get on the train at the same time. It seemed as though they just wanted to swap passengers between two trains. I don't understand why the train already in Connolly (on p6) could not have gone to Drogheda, then there would have been no need to move hundreds of people between trains. I emailed IR this morning asking for an explanation but I don't expect to get one anytime soon....

[danielfelice]

I was on that train last night.

I got on a Grand Canal on time and no problems at all.

We stopped just outside Connolly and the driver announced we would be changing to the train on platform 6 which was the original Drogheda train. We stopped at Connolly and everyone who got off the Drogheda train was waiting for us to pull in so getting off the train was a mission in itself. People just don't let you get off.

So we run across to the next new Maynooth train which has a few carriages less than the original train we were on. The train leaves the platform with at least 100 people behind as they could not fit on the train because it was bursting at the seems.

As we left the platform the driver announced

"Sorry for the delay but the driver of this train is not trained to drive this type of train"

There was a guy on the train who was on the phone to Irish Rail trying to get an explaination and reason for the delay and the person at the other end of the phone hung up on him!!!

There was also a pregnant woman a few standing next to me who fainted. Luckily people were good enough to get out of their seat for her.

So all in all

* Train was delayed 10 minutes
* The original Driver of the train did not know how to drive that model train, which was the reason for the change
* IE customer service don't know how to handle complaints so they just hang up on people
* IE is ran by a bunch of morons - monkey's could do a better job.

Oh and this morning the 8:13 from Clonsilla (coming from Maynooth) was held up for 10 minutes at Connolly due to a train breaking down at Pearse earlier.

Why do I pay over €600 a year for this?????

[Mark Gleeson]

On Tuesday quite unusually there appeared a 6 coach 2800 train going northbound out of Pearse at about 17:45 (we call this the original Drogheda train), which is very unusual since it shouldn't be there at all, should have been a 29000 type

At Connolly the passengers on the full length 29000 type Maynooth bound train board the shorter 2800 type train, Drogheda crowd pile into the larger 29000

There is a driver change at Connolly. The I don't know how to drive it excuse is rubbish those trains have been based in Connolly since 2000. Just like the way pilots can only fly certain planes train drivers can only drive those trains of which they are certified to drive which is understandable but it doesn't stack up, all drivers based in Drogheda and Connolly are trained to drive both and do so on a daily basis, they are however very different machines

Totally unacceptable, bear in mind IE management would have known there was an issue before 5pm, looks like we fell into the classic Irish Rail run the train for themselves not us. You want to know why? Irish Rail where playing a game to move the trains around for their convenience. Classic CIE mentality, why didn't they swap drivers between the trains instead?

[weary rushian]

I was on the Drogheda train that the people from this train had to change on to. I thought we were quite civilised in standing back to let people off the train! The Drogheda train had stood at Connolly for 10 minutes without any explanation, then there was a muffled announcement that only a few people heard then people started to get off the train. I felt sorry for those who then couldn't get on the 2nd Maynooth train. Typically Irish Rail didn't apologise or explain their reasons for inconveniencing hundreds of people.

[Mark Hennessy]

There was a guy on the train who was on the phone to Irish Rail trying to get an explaination and reason for the delay and the person at the other end of the phone hung up on him!!!

There was also a pregnant woman a few standing next to me who fainted. Luckily people were good enough to get out of their seat for her.

So all in all

* Train was delayed 10 minutes
* The original Driver of the train did not know how to drive that model train, which was the reason for the change
* IE customer service don't know how to handle complaints so they just hang up on people

Shameful Irish Rail behaviour but so typical.

Irish Rail are not accountable to anybody, that includes the only shareholder;the Minister for Transport.

I would urge you to write to

Cal Carmichael
General Manager Northern and Eastern
Iarnród Éireann
Connolly Station
Dublin 1

and to

Richard Fearn
Chief Executive Officer
Iarnród Éireann
Connolly Station
Dublin 1

and raise this with your local FF TD also.

Unfortunately, Irish Rail will not respond in any meaningful way to any complaints unless they are shamed into it by politicians.

[danielfelice]

Tonight in the Paddocks Pub in Little Pace there is a transport meeting with the local TD and Irish Rail and Dublin Bus reps...should be interesting.

I might head over, its at 8pm if anyone is interested.