Lies and Statistics on the Sligo line

[James Howard]

I noticed a drop from 98% to just over 90% in the on-time stats this month for the Sligo line. This is a pretty awful set of numbers after a long run of reasonably good stats.

Also, somehow they have managed to have 100% reliability when there was definitely one train that didn't reach its destination. The 1705 to Sligo was abandoned at Mullingar on September 17th due to mechanical problems. Surely this constitutes an unreliable service or did they fiddle the figures somehow?

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by James Howard

Also, somehow they have managed to have 100% reliability when there was definitely one train that didn't reach its destination.

It seems their definition of 'reliability' only requires that the train depart its origin - no need for it to reach its destination, serve all stops or operate with the advertised accommodation.

[maloner]

Originally Posted by Colm Moore

It seems their definition of 'reliability' only requires that the train depart its origin - no need for it to reach its destination, serve all stops or operate with the advertised accommodation.

They left us sitting on train for an age & finally announced there would be busses, no timescale & they were going to serve complementary tea & coffee!. I couldn't wait so left & got a taxi...

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by James Howard

I noticed a drop from 98% to just over 90% in the on-time stats this month for the Sligo line. This is a pretty awful set of numbers after a long run of reasonably good stats.

Also, somehow they have managed to have 100% reliability when there was definitely one train that didn't reach its destination. The 1705 to Sligo was abandoned at Mullingar on September 17th due to mechanical problems. Surely this constitutes an unreliable service or did they fiddle the figures somehow?

Reliability means that the train actually operated - i.e. that it departed.

If something happens en route then that affects punctuality, but the service did operate.

[Mark Gleeson]

Reliability is defined as operated as planned, which should be taken as train operated and called at all stations as per timetable. Anything else is a failure

[James Howard]

Well in that case, that statistic is wrong on the Sligo line. The 1705 on that date did not operate beyond Mullingar. There was a 6 car ICR unit parked up on a siding when we went through on the 1805 about 90 minutes late.

I don't know how they resolved that issue on that day, but I guess that if they put all the passengers on the 1715 to Longford and ran it to Sligo, they could state that the service was "reliable". But there is a bit of a smell about the fact that according to the stats there hasn't been a single service that didn't operate so far this year.

In any case, this basically means that the reliability statistics are a complete waste of time.

[JohnnyBoy]

Can anyone tell me who the punctuality works. Is that statistic specific to the final stop on a run? For instance is the train is 11 minutes late at every stop but manages to claw back a bit and arrive at the final stop less than ten minutes late, do IE class that as punctual?

[Mark Gleeson]

Final destination for all Intercity services

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by JohnnyBoy

Can anyone tell me who the punctuality works. Is that statistic specific to the final stop on a run? For instance is the train is 11 minutes late at every stop but manages to claw back a bit and arrive at the final stop less than ten minutes late, do IE class that as punctual?

Note that timings tend to be tight at intermediate stops, with make-up time towards the end of the route.