Trains this week

[sandraoh]

I don't know about anyone else but I have had a lot of bad experiences with trains this week and its beginning to annoy me quite frankly. I catch the 7:24 service from Portlaoise everyday and so far this week it hasn't left Portlaoise until at least 7:40. This morning it was so late that we were told to catch the 7:41 train instead which didn't get in until 8:58 meaning I got in half an hour later than usual.

So far this week I have been at least 10 minutes late getting into dublin and this is before problems of "leaf slip" begin. Does anyone know why the new train is late all the time?

Last night I planned on catching the 18:35 to Portlaoise but when I got into the station the board said nothing about an 18:35 train but that there was a train called 18:45 Thurles/New. The station announcer said that the 18:35 service was deferred to 18:45 for today(wednesday) only and that boarding would commence at 18:30-18:35 approx. I made an executive decision fromlooking at the length of the queue and joined the queue for the 19:00 train instead because there was no chance of getting anything resembling a seat on the 18:35/45. The boarding of the 18:45 started at around about 18:45 and it was stampede like to watch. The train left at 18:55 and the cork train left pretty much on time at 19:02. We didn't get into Portlaoise unitl 20:20 however.

With the way things are going this week one wonders what joys lie ahead for tonight and tomorrow.

Just another query. What is the role of the train manager/host?