[11-11-2007] 17:05 Dublin Sligo

[Mark Gleeson]

Sligo services: delays by Corporate Communications

11th November 2007 - 20.30hrs

Due to an engine fault on the 17.05hrs Connolly to Sligo service at Killucan, there are significant delays to all services on the Dublin-Sligo line at present.

Customers are advised that where delays exceed 60 minutes, customers are eligible for refund vouchers. Please download this form to claim vouchers, which should be returned with your ticket to the address shown.

Iarnród Éireann apologises to customers for the inconvenience caused.

Was a 071 + Mk2d sets

Train spent the day in Pearse so no change of getting the once over inspection to catch the fault

Train only left Pearse at 4:59 so it was late before it started

[Mickey H]

Over 300 stranded as train breaks down
Sunday, 11 November 2007 20:56
More than 300 people have been stranded near Killucan, Co Westmeath this evening after engine failure on the Dublin to Sligo train.

Passengers on the 5.05pm service from Connolly station say the train broke down shortly after 6.30pm near Killucan, where it has also blocked a local roadway.

A number of passengers contacted RTÉ to complain about the lack of catering and support services for a large number of elderly passengers on the train.

AdvertisementIt is understood a number of people have left the train at this stage and walked more than a mile to local premises in search of hot food.

A train engine has arrived at the stalled train to transport passengers from Killucan.

Iarnród Éireann have said that passengers would be on their way to Sligo within half an hour.

I travelled on this train twice over the weekend (loco 073 and 8 mk2) and it was performing well on both occaisions, obviously something went wrong after today's 0855 from Sligo

[KSW]

Arriving at midnight and left Connolly at 17:05 wow thats 7hrs. Feel sorry for passengers but what can you do!

[Mark Gleeson]

The important thing to take from this is not the obvious fact that the train is meant to be on the scrapheap but the total failure to deal with the failure in a efficient and professional manner

No matter what age a train it will break down and leave you stranded, the Mk4's have done it, the unbreakable railcars, break remember the 2800 set spent 10 hours in Dun Laoghaire only a week ago, age has nothing to do with it

Clearly no information provided and no initiative taken in dealing with the situation. Obvious issue is feeding 300 odd people, train is sitting at a level crossing

11850 need a takeway in Westmeath near Killucan which delivers?

[Mark Gleeson]

Some investigation shows

17:05 is due to stop Killucan at 17:55 to depart at 17:59:30

The rescue locomotive left Connolly sometime after 19:15, the RTE report says 18:30 as the time of breakdown so the 17:05 was in trouble anyway so it took over 45 minutes to dispatch rescue and some genius allowed a railcar to get out ahead as well further delaying matters

Of course its not impossible for 29k to drag a locomotive hauled set, just it would have to be air braked which the Mk2 is not. Up north railcars have rescued locomotive hauled set

[Mickey H]

"Up north railcars have rescued locomotive hauled set"

An 80 class railcar has rescued a failed locomotive hauled train in the past but can only move it to the nearest station at reduced speed as the brake systems on the railcars and locomotives/coaches are only partially compatable.

A 450 class railcar cannot be coupled to a locomotive hauled train. A C3K can but it apparently takes an hour

[Mickey H]

Apologies if this has already been discussed but why not use a MK3 set on the Sligo line in place of the MK2 which would be a temporary improvement?

[Mark Gleeson]

Well some genius in IE in full knowledge of the failure let the 19:05 Dublin Sligo out ahead of the rescue locomotive making a bad situation even worse

Not being the trainspotter about it but a 450 has dragged a train behind it, scary but it works. The boys in NIR seem gifted with lateral thinking when it comes to solving problems, IE just can't sort themselves out

All the modern red tape means the old fashioned get things moving by any means has disappeared.

[KSW]

Because some Sligo councillor thought this was a down standard therefore say no. It wouldnt be fair to Rosslare users they would be complaining Myself included(haha) The Mk3 trains would have given both lines that InterCity feeling rather than the 29000 Commuter Railcars. Its obvious to me that the Sligo councillor doesnt use the rail service to Dublin

[sean]

I'm assuming it's the locomotive that broke down?

[Mark Gleeson]

Yes 073 died

Its important to bare in mind

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

The important thing to take from this is not the obvious fact that the train is meant to be on the scrapheap but the total failure to deal with the failure in a efficient and professional manner

No matter what age a train it will break down and leave you stranded

[Rashers]

Check out the Internet link for the radio story.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/1112/rail.html
Having listened to what one of the passengers said happened, I think the passengers appear to have been treated badly once the delay occurred.
To which the IE spokesman said...'Some issue with teas and coffees'...'We will review that'......
I thought the interviewer was going to push Barry a bit more on why they failed to implement a definite plan once they ran out of supplies of hot food etc., Why someone from Irish Rail did not go and sort something, given they had probably a good idea how long the delay was going to be is a mystery.
Passengers having to go get food/drinks for the elderly passengers who could not leave during a 7 hour journey would seem to have been fairly serious.
Another poor interviewer, with the promise of new trains quickly missing the key message.
Example: The interviewer should have asked if the new trains broke down, would the passengers be treated the same way?

[KSW]

I just cant believe why some clever person let the 19:05 depart knowing the train ahead was broke down and therefore creating more problems. I just hope that there was heating on the train and was working for it was really cold espically for the older people.

[seamus kilcock]

Reports indicate there was no heating on the Dublin to Sligo train that broke down on Sunday last. This would indicate there was no heating before it left Connolly - unless, of course, by a strange co-incidence, the heating broke down too!
I find this strange because, unless I'm mistaken, the heating comes from the 'geni' van and not from the 'broken down' 071.
Anybody out there, with more knowledge of the actual workings of the heating on the Mk 2's, care to comment?

[Mark Gleeson]

A lot of the stories have been exaggerated, some coaches had no heating to start with, if the generator van had failed there would have been little or no light onboard

Heating and lighting are totally separate from the locomotive

The train arrived Sligo before midnight not after has the media as reported

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by Irish Times

Passengers stranded on freezing train
Paddy Clancy

Passengers stranded for several hours on a freezing train complained yesterday they couldn't even buy a cup of tea from the food trolley because Iarnród Éireann did not have enough water on board.

Passengers also told how they put on extra clothing from their suitcases in an attempt to keep warm, walked up to a mile in search of hot food when the engine broke down in Co Westmeath, could not use the toilets and were given no information on what was happening.

Iarnród Éireann spokesman Barry Kenny apologised to passengers and admitted what had happened was "not good".

Elaine McGee, a local radio broadcaster, was among the passengers stranded when the 5.05pm train on Sunday from Connolly station, Dublin, to Sligo broke down at Killucan, near Mullingar.

"We were given no information for an hour and then an Iarnród official went running through the carriage saying there had been a breakdown but he didn't want to stop and explain.

"It was bitterly cold and there was no heat at all . . . It was so cold two old ladies had to be moved up the train in an attempt to find some warmth."

Ms McGee (25), a presenter with Ocean FM, said: "The tea trolley was wheeled through the carriage but we couldn't get a cup of tea. There was no water. They had muffins and snacks and we had to pay for them. They soon ran out."

She said that almost an hour and a half after the breakdown passengers were told an engineer was on the way but was only leaving Connolly station, in Dublin, at that stage and would not arrive for another 40 minutes.

A replacement engine was linked to the train and passengers arrived in Sligo after midnight, more than three hours late.

© 2007 The Irish Times

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ire...550199088.html

[seamus kilcock]

This is 2007 and not 1907.
It is crazy to think - as you suggest Mark - that in this year 2007 a train was sent from Dublin to Sligo with a generator not working properly for lights and heat. (Are there not two generators per 'guards' van?).
IE have surely had enough time testing the 22000 class trains.
'How long is a piece of string'?
The people of Sligo should kick up a 'stink' and insist IE deliver as they promised several months ago i.e. put into service the 22000 type trains.
IE went so far as to advertise the putting into service of the trains during the Autumn of 2007.
Only 17 days to go to keep the promise.
I wonder if there's an agenda within IE - by this I mean is there a union/staff/IE problem introducing the trains; I would not be surprised is there is a problem?
Hope I'm wrong - but!!!
Meanwhile, people of Sligo get on your proverbial 'high horses' and get on to IE to keep their promise by introducing the new 22000 class trains before end of November 2007; or did they mean November 2008!!!

[Mark Gleeson]

Generator van was functional leaving Dublin, most coaches had working heating others did not, thats a long running thing

There are no reports of lighting failure which would indicate a failure of both generators did not occur

Everyone seems fixated with the fact this was an old train, a modern train is more than capable enough of failing in a similar way, in fact modern trains when they suffer a major failure tend to die completely leaving you stranded.

The new trains line is a cop out, no one is complaining about the fact the train broke down (trains always will) but about the lack of information, lack of refreshments, delay in getting rescued and so on matters which are totally independent of the train type

[KSW]

Does it not mention something in the passenger charter on up-to-date information and where delays exceed 1hour its a complete refund in vouchers. Obviously in this case I should think every passenger got the refund. Why does the entire train not have heating not just the odd carriage. The 22000 trains I believe from reading from German/Korean technology that its the best train and greenest desiel in Europe right choice there. Something is obviously up with the new trains but what. That Korean person I seen the other day in Wexford on the new train is there for a reason pure and simple. But after all it is Iarnrod Eireann's decision when they want to roll the trains out, Why dont they put a limit on (Example)-> New timetable that day is the limit.

[Mark Gleeson]

This is a thread about the failure of the 17:05 Dublin Sligo 11/11/2007

Discussion of the 22k delay entering service is not relevant, please stay on topic