Celebrate 150 years of Cobh rail services: family fun day on Saturday 10th March 05

[comcor]

Celebrate 150 years of Cobh rail services: family fun day on Saturday 10th March

05 March 2012

Iarnród Éireann is to mark 150 years of the Cobh rail service this Saturday 10th March, with a special family fun day. The event is taking place 150 years to the day (10th March 1862) after the first train steamed into Cobh. Times and trains may have changed but the railway is still serving the people of Cobh.

Iarnród Éireann is offering a special fare of €1.50 for all tickets (including family tickets) on all services between Cork and Cobh all day.

A special marquee will be erected on the quayside adjacent to the station which will feature a farmers’ market, a display by Cobh and District Photography Club, childrens’ entertainers and performances from local artists including: Actor Nathan Slattery, Default Daves and the Carbary GAA Rangers as well as many more.

The event will run from 12:00hrs to 16:00hrs on Saturday 10th March. Drop in to the marquee and experience this fun day for all the family.

Local tourist attractions are also taking part, with Fota Wildlife Park offering a special admission price of €1 for children and €2 for adults all day on 10th March. The Titanic Experience Cobh is also offering a 20% discount to all visitors.

The Cork- Cobh line is a busy commuter service that sees 46 services a day operate.

http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4503&p=116&n=237

€5 to get to Fota and go into the park is a bargain compared to the normal admission price.

[jacko]

great turnout and really well done

Minister Kelly was there as well as the irish Rail bosses

great to see a service where the passenger numbers are going up year on year

[dowlingm]

imagine how good numbers might be on the line if NRA and IE hadn't ballsed up the Dunkettle P&R and if east Cork buses were feeding it and not competing with it.

[jacko]

Originally Posted by dowlingm

imagine how good numbers might be on the line if NRA and IE hadn't ballsed up the Dunkettle P&R and if east Cork buses were feeding it and not competing with it.

true

what people like about Cork-Cobh/midleton is the frequency and relability

Cobh - on the hour down and on the half hour back up - so easy to remember - and every half hour at morning and evenng peaks

Also - the line benefits greatly from tourism in the summer

Cruise line passengers from Cobh to Cork as well as general attractions in Fota, Cobh and Midleton

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...313154450.html

Fun day to celebrate 150 years of Cork to Cobh train
OLIVIA KELLEHER

The 150th anniversary of a railway link between Cork and Cobh was celebrated at the weekend with a family fun day attended by Minister of State Alan Kelly.

There was a special fare of €1.50 for all tickets (including family tickets) from Cork to Cobh on Saturday, to celebrate the first train steaming into Cobh on March 10th, 1862. A bronze plaque was unveiled by the Minister, along with Iarnrod Eireann CEO Dick Fearn and Cobh mayor Cllr Jim Quinlan. A marquee on the quay beside the station contained a farmers' market, a display by Cobh and District Photography Club, children's entertainers and performances from local artists. The Cork-Cobh line operates 46 services a day and 566,000 journeys were taken in 2011, up from 551,000 in 2010. Mr Kelly said: "I am delighted that the line remains of vital importance today."

[jacko]

Originally Posted by Colm Moore

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...313154450.html

based on those figures over 1,500 passengers a day for a service from a town of 15,000 is excellent - just shows what reliability and frequency can achieve

Hat off to IR Cork staff - they market the line very well at incoming visitors (cruise liners, sail training vessels etc)

There was an american training ship in last year (more than 500 on board) - all were given a timetable, list of prices and list of bars shops etc offering discounts on production of ticket

[Inniskeen]

Originally Posted by jacko

based on those figures over 1,500 passengers a day for a service from a town of 15,000 is excellent - just shows what reliability and frequency can achieve

Hat off to IR Cork staff - they market the line very well at incoming visitors (cruise liners, sail training vessels etc)

There was an american training ship in last year (more than 500 on board) - all were given a timetable, list of prices and list of bars shops etc offering discounts on production of ticket

Interestingly this is an average load of about 35 passengers per train, more obviously on some services, less on others ! Trains don't have to be stuffed to the rafters for a service to be deemed successful.

The service on the Cobh line has improved significantly in recent years. It is good to see numbers growing again after a significant dip from the 2007 peak.

[jacko]

Originally Posted by Inniskeen

Interestingly this is an average load of about 35 passengers per train, more obviously on some services, less on others ! Trains don't have to be stuffed to the rafters for a service to be deemed successful.

The service on the Cobh line has improved significantly in recent years. It is good to see numbers growing again after a significant dip from the 2007 peak.

Dont forget that trains such as the 05.30 and 06.30 from Cork to Cobh are effectively empty and just locating to return as te 06.00 and 07.00 to Cork.

Likewise the late evening services while busy to Cobh have only a handful of passengers returning back

[comcor]

Originally Posted by Inniskeen

Interestingly this is an average load of about 35 passengers per train, more obviously on some services, less on others ! Trains don't have to be stuffed to the rafters for a service to be deemed successful.

The service on the Cobh line has improved significantly in recent years. It is good to see numbers growing again after a significant dip from the 2007 peak.

While the general economic situation hasn't helped, the opening of Midleton is the big factor in numbers declining after 2007.

You see a bigger initial drop than other lines around the country, but then it picks up faster.

How Irish Rail assign passengers to lines is a bit of a mystery, but it seems clear that some, if not all, Little Island and Glounethaune passengers were counted in the Midleton figures after it opened.

In the absence of other evidence, it's probably reasonable to assume that they are 50-50 between Cobh and Midleton trains. My experience of the line is that they are the second and third busiest stations, after Cobh itself. Perhaps no wonder considering they actually get quarter-hourly service during peak hours.