Number of Carriages on DARTs

[5euros]

After spending tax payers money to extend the platforms to support more carriages most DART services are 5 six carriages short even during peak periods

If Irish Rail insist on using fewer carriages then why do they pull into the Southbound platforms at Tara and Pearse as far from the exits as possible

[Thomas Ralph]

Welcome to the board.

I'm not sure why short-forming continues (Mark might help on this) but drivers are instructed to stop at the far end of the platform as that is where the CCTV monitors (to help them see when to close the doors) are. At Tara Street and Pearse this results in them being further from the exit when going south, but they're nearer the exit at Connolly, Grand Canal Duck, and Sandymount. Swings and roundabouts.

[Inniskeen]

Originally Posted by Thomas Ralph

Welcome to the board.

I'm not sure why short-forming continues (Mark might help on this) but drivers are instructed to stop at the far end of the platform as that is where the CCTV monitors (to help them see when to close the doors) are. At Tara Street and Pearse this results in them being further from the exit when going south, but they're nearer the exit at Connolly, Grand Canal Duck, and Sandymount. Swings and roundabouts.

Same reason as the Spanish DARTs are being left to rot - a six car 8100 comfortably handles the traffic offering on all but a handful of DART services. Indeed Northern and Maynooth commuter services are generally significantly more overcrowded than DART. Some peak period northbound DART services load between 200 and 300 passengers out of Connolly - i.e plenty of spare seats on a 6x 8100 set.

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by Thomas Ralph

Grand Canal Duck

[Thomas Ralph]

It's the answer to the joke "what do you call a bird that swims under a DART station?"

[Mark Gleeson]

There are several 8 coach DART services in operation, about 7 8 coach sets are in service on a daily basis. There is scope to increase the number of 8 coach trains if required. My train home is always an 8 coach. For the record an 8 coach DART has fewer seats than a 6 coach one. There was never a plan to run all trains as 8 coaches, in fact they never bought enough coaches.

The bulk of the DART upgrade cost was actually accessibility upgrades, the renewal of the overhead wire and modifications so that 8 coach commuter trains didn't jam up Connolly

The rule book does say to pull up to the end of platform as to avoid accidentally stopping short with a long train. I've seen it happen. There is a request in with Irish Rail to state the coach length on the electronic displays.

DART passenger numbers are probably less than before 8 coach DART's where first introduced. Compared to the horrific conditions I experienced in the 2000-2003 era its massively improved.

The Alstom DART units are actually to be sold off this year. They are not rotting away since they can't rust as they are aluminum. They never worked properly and broke down with an alarming frequency.

[Inniskeen]

Sixteen sets are required to run the current DART service. The number of vehicles required to make everything 8-car is therefore 128. The current fleet consists of 154 vehicles. While the Spanish fleet may not be rotting (forgive the earlier metaphorical use of the word), as in the bodies rusting, I imagine the longer they remain idle the poorer their condition becomes and the greater the expense in resurrecting them.

While I am not surprised IR wish to get rid of them, I would be astounded if there were a rush of buyers. Still if the price is right somebody might take them - maybe they could go to New Zealand where MK2s from the UK mainland were given a second lease of life a few years ago.

[shweeney]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

The rule book does say to pull up to the end of platform as to avoid accidentally stopping short with a long train. I've seen it happen. There is a request in with Irish Rail to state the coach length on the electronic displays.

could they not do as they do elsewhere (e.g. the RER) and have markings on the platform for different length trains so they all pull up equidistant from the ends? They used to have this on the Dart too, when there were 2, 4 and 6-coach formations in use, you can still see markings in many stations (though I recall it was frequently ignored by the drivers, and the current rule is inconsistently followed too).

I regularly get the Wexford train from Pearse and as a 4-coach it pulls so far up the platform you can hardly see it from the entrance!

[ThomasJ]

Originally Posted by Thomas Ralph

It's the answer to the joke "what do you call a bird that swims under a DART station?"

Speeking of which has anyone tried walking up the steps to gcd station on a wet day/night?

Tiles are not the best option are they?