[16-11-2006] Heuston after 18:30

[Mark Gleeson]

Total farce here on the 19:00 to Cork

Passengers ended up on not the first, not the second but the third train which was a Mk3

No information and no mention of refunds

First train was a Mk4 then moved to another Mk4 (the set of the 21:00 I'd say), that didn't work so a Mk3 set was found, rather unclean from reports

Left sometime after 21:20

[2Funki4Wheelz]

Apparently the same for the 18:35 to Thurles.

Boarded about 18:32, didn't move, announcement at 18:40 'technical difficulties', announcement 18:55 'technicians working on it'.
I (and plenty of others although we were not advised of the option) hopped it to the 19:05 to Galway (for Portarlington).
We left on time. (I've only used the 18:35 twice this month and this has happened both times )

A friend 's work colleage on the 18:35 (for Sallins) got changed 3 times on the trains I think and got home about 21:30.

[Mark Gleeson]

Full 100% refunds apply http://www.platform11.org/passenger_info/refunds.php

Customer Relations
Southern and Western
Iarnród Éireann
Heuston Station
Dublin 8

Contact 01 703 4499

Manager in Charge: Steve Murphy
Manager of customer relations: Liam Kenny

I'd very interested to know exactly how long a response takes

[2Funki4Wheelz]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Full 100% refunds apply http://www.platform11.org/passenger_info/refunds.php

Customer Relations
Southern and Western
Heuston Station
Dublin 8

01 7034499

I'd very interested to know exactly how long a response takes

You'd be surprised how many people aren't bothered cos 'it's only a few quid', it's very frustrating when you tell them about the refunds.

[Thomas J Stamp]

What exactle happend, does anyone know?

From reading Marks first post it looks as though TWO Mk4's sat down. Why was this?

So it was what, the 1900 to Cork? And it left at 21.30? What happned to the 18.35? Was it singnals or trains?

[sandraoh]

18:35 caught the 21:20 train too. It was technical difficulties with the 18:35 it was technical difficulties with the 7pm (I heard the brakes were locked) it was technical difficulties with the 2nd MK4 and the final one was fine because it left. I think it only left late because it was waiting for board all the people from all the various trains. There were no posters in Heuston this morning which I expected and there is nothing on the website either.

[Mark Gleeson]

Reports I got suggested total chaos

It appeared passengers for different stations where herded onto different trains, or when it became clear another train serving some stations would leave before the Cork train everyone had to move.

Of course what broke is not clear

Since the new train was in pull mode the hot money is on a suspension failure or a parking brake failure

The 19:05 to Galway left on time so a signalling, suicide, bridge strike, flood, aliens etc can be ruled out

[sandraoh]

I got on the 18:35 after the 2 announcements I went and queued for the 7pm train on platform 5 but at 20:20 were put on the train on platform 6 from there we were moved to platform 8 which left at 21:20 and arrived in Portlaoise at 22:25. The announcements were few and far between and the announcer apologising for the delayed boarding of the 7pm train kept saying for over an hour that the train would be boarding very shortly. Once the 7pm train was an hour late I went and got a pile of refund forms and handed them out to people in the queue. There was no announcement made to people about the right to a refund though there was free "everything except alcohol" from the dining car on the 4th train.

[sandraoh]

Another thing - once we boarded the train at 20:20 people who had reserved seats were kicking people out of the seats. I saw an eldery woman be removed from her seat by a passenger who was apparently told that reservations still stood. No seats were marked either electronically or otherwise. Also as soon as it turned 7pm the yellow tshirted people left the station. There were no staff on hand to handle the number of disputes over seating - it was absolutely crazy!