New (disimproved) timetable (Part 1)

[Traincustomer]

Overall verdict - sadly, a significant disimprovement on the current service.

A very disjointed timetable which neglects several obvious and identified opportunities for improved network integration, through services and journey times.

Traditionally timetable reviews focus on the major routes and so called lesser routes may only get a passing reference. I say this as an observation rather than in a critical sense. So to try the opposite here goes...

The timetable for the line is dated 29th November, 2009 until further notice. In effect, due to the continued total absence of a Sunday service, the commencement date is Monday 30th. The cover photo features a railcar running along the (western) banks of the River Slaney with Ferrycarrig Bridge and castle in the background. The route descriptions are, as customary, bilingual though the Gaeilge is now listed at the top, with the English equivalent underneath. "Enniscorthy" has been removed from the route title. The timetable (PDF version so far) is un-numbered. The current timetable is numbered 12 as in a presumably informal route numbering for timetable production purposes.

As detailed in the IÉ website summary of changes, the number of Waterford to Limerick Junction and vice versa trains falls from four to three in each direction.

Rosslare Europort - Waterford - Limerick
* The 0625 Enniscorthy - Rosslare Europort no longer commences at Arklow at 0544. It now commences at Enniscorthy, departing Wexford (O'Hanrahan) a minute earlier at 0647, Rosslare Strand seven minutes earlier (at 0705), to arrive at Rosslare Europort at 0710, eight minutes earlier than heretofore. The connection to the Waterford-bound train at Rosslare Strand thankfully remains.

* The 0705 Rosslare Europort to Waterford is advanced slightly to 0700 and now takes 1h 20 minutes to reach Waterford (Plunkett). The current end-to-end running time is 1 h 18 minutes. Curiously an extra minute is allowed for both the Bridgetown-Wellingtonbridge and Campile-Waterford sections. One ponders is this the result of a speed restriction or merely a discretionary adjustment by compilers of the timetable.

* The 0635 Waterford to Limerick Junction is advanced to 0630 and operates five minutes earlier throughout. Onward connections from the Junction to Heuston, Cork and Limerick are not changed by more than two minutes.
Disappointingly the one out of four trains to be discontinued is the 0935 Waterford to Limerick Junction effectively totally dismantling through journey opportunities from the ferry, Rosslare, Enniscorthy, Wexford and South Wexford stations to stations west of Waterford. (At present one can arrive into Waterford at 0823 and continue westwards at 0935 – not perfect by any means but nonetheless viable).
The new timetable sees the ex Rosslare train arrive into Waterford at 0820 and the next train westwards not depart until 4 hours and 10 minutes later at 1230.

* The 1230 Waterford to Limerick Junction is accelerated by seven minutes, though it is largely negated by there being no onward connection to Limerick until 1454, resulting in an arrival into Limerick (Colbert) eighteen minutes later than at present. Passengers for the Dublin-bound connection have an eighteen minute wait (currently seven minutes) whilst Cork-bound customers who previously had to wait 1 h 22 minutes now have a forty minute wait. At Waterford the train from Dublin arrives fifty three minutes beforehand (currently twenty eight minutes).

* The 1638 Waterford to Limerick Junction is advanced to 1615 and is decelerated by five minutes, arriving into Limerick Junction at 1801. Onward connections to Dublin, Cork and Limerick all entail longer waits. This train crosses the 1510 Limerick Junction – Waterford at Carrick-on-Suir, the only instance where passenger trains cross on the line in the new timetable.


Limerick Junction - Waterford - Rosslare Europort
* The 0850 Limerick Junction to Waterford commences and terminates at the same times though all the intermediate timings are changed slightly. Connections from Limerick, Cork and Dublin into the train remain unchanged. At Waterford the train connects into the 1100 to Dublin (previously 1045).

* The 1145 Limerick Junction to Waterford train is discontinued.

* The 1546 Limerick Junction to Enniscorthy (Saturdays just to Rosslare Europort) is advanced to depart at 1510 and terminates at Waterford (1705 hrs.) though thankfully in time to connect with a separate train at 1720 from Waterford to Rosslare Europort. Journey time from Limerick Junction to Waterford increases by nine minutes to 1h 55 minutes. Coming from Limerick, a forty-five minute wait at the Junction (previously 20 minutes) is necessary. Passengers from the Cork direction now have a forty two minute wait to connect with this train (currently 1 h 20minutes) whilst passengers from the Dublin direction have a longer wait of nineteen minutes (currently five minutes). Passengers wishing to connect with a Dublin-bound train at Waterford now must wait 1 h 15 minutes, previously 53 minutes.

* The 1720 Waterford to Rosslare Europort completes its journey a minute faster, taking one and a quarter hours to cover the thirty eight miles (previously 1h 16 mins). The minute's saving is achieved between Rosslare Strand and Europort.

The afternoon Dublin-Kilkenny-Waterford train continues to narrowly fail to offer a connection into the solitary County Wexford train of the day.
The 1720 ex Waterford does not continue beyond Rosslare Europort and the last Wexford/Enniscorthy/Dublin-bound train departs Rosslare Strand around half an hour prior to the arrival of this train thereby creating the unusual and overtly user-unfriendly situation whereby it remains possible to commute from Enniscorthy and Wexford to points between Bridgetown and Waterford inclusive in the morning but not return in the evening.

Due to the absence of an evening return rail service maybe an arrangement should be initiated whereby return rail tickets Enniscorthy/Wexford to Waterford should be valid on appropriate Bus Éireann services such as the Expressway Route 5, 1600 Waterford – Bunclody – Tullow – Dublin (serves Enniscorthy 1710) and on the 1630 (Expressway 40) and 1740 (Local route 372) Waterford to Wexford services and appropriate onward Route 2 services from Wexford to Enniscorthy.

* The 1845 Limerick Junction to Waterford takes one minute longer, arriving Waterford 2027 and all intermediate timings are changed slightly.
Coming from all three directions (Dublin, Cork & Limerick) the waiting time required to connect with this train is less.

The Limerick to Waterford Bus Éireann Expressway coach journey takes 2 h 25 minutes. The fastest train journey offered by the new timetable is 2 h 27 minutes (on the 1800 Limerick-Limerick Junction & 1845 Limerick Junction – Waterford).

The Western Rail Corridor receives a mention in the timetable; a footnote states that the 0935 Limerick – Ennis will continue to Galway when the WRC opens in January 2010, exact date to be advised. One assumes the 0935 ex Limerick will be the second Limerick to Galway train of the day? Times for Sixmilebridge are also shown. (Note – only select Ennis – Limerick trains are shown in this table; those that offer connections to Limerick-Limerick Junction trains which, in turn, offer connections onwards to Clonmel/Waterford/Rosslare Europort).

SUMMARY – The (effectively negligible) benefits of the new timetable:
(a) A few very marginal running time improvements to specific trains.
(b) Some improvements to connections at Limerick Junction to/from specific trains.
(c) A quite viable connection to/from the Stena Line Superferry ”Stena Europe” on the Rosslare to Fishguard Harbour route continues to be offered (0615 arrival at Rosslare; 2115 evening sailing ex Rosslare). SailRail ticketing from IÉ stations to stations on the Great Britain network are available via this sea route.
Note: (c), above is in effect a thankful retention of the status quo rather than a new benefit.