[28-29-30/11/2008] Major Engineering Works at Howth Junction

[Mark Gleeson]

This is utterly crazy, total shutdown

No reason services could not operate as far as Harmonstown, typical lazy Irish Rail

Of course the junction at Howth Junc has been on the list for replacement for several years, could have been done during the DASH works

Engineering Works at Howth Junction - Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November by Corporate Communications

Iarnród Éireann advises customers that due to engineering works at Howth Junction on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November, there will be NO DART services North of Connolly Station to Howth/Malahide

Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November

Southside services will operate as normal to and from Connolly Station.

Northern Commuter services will operate to and from Connolly Station and will not serve Tara and Pearse Stations.

Bus transfers wil be in place on a limited number of services, click here for further details from journey planner.

Please note: On Friday 28th November, DART services after 21.00hrs will operate between Connolly and Bray/Greystones only.

22:05hrs Drogheda - Connolly service will operate to Malahide with a bus transfer serving all stations south of Malahide to Connolly.

23:20hrs Connolly - Dundalk service will operate as a bus transfer to Malahide with a train operating all stations north of Malahide to Dundalk.

Iarnród Éireann apologises for any inconvenience these essential works may cause.

[ThomasJ]

Of course what that notice doesn't tell you is that Drogheda/Dundalk trains will call at all DART stations between Connolly and Malahide on those days! I would have considered that a key piece of information!

Except the 23:20hrs ex connolly being a bus direct to Malahide

Look at the online timetable!

[ThomasJ]

someone must have been Reading this forum very recently because the notice on the ie website has just been
Updated

[Mark Gleeson]

I'm even more confused now

So commuter services run, but DART services do not? The line isn't blocked so what the hell is going on?

[ThomasJ]

it doesn't make sense allright. Could it be something to do with work on the howth side with the wires on the malahide side having to be knocked off?

Could someone post up the updated notice I can't. Copy and paste at the moment

[Colm Moore]

If this is electrical work, why can't northside DART services be operated by DMUs? I don't think the occassional northern line service will be able to handle Saturday afternoon crowds for the entire northside DART.

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=442

Engineering Works at Howth Junction - Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November by Corporate Communications

Iarnród Éireann advises customers that due to engineering works at Howth Junction on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November, there will be NO DART services North of Connolly Station to Howth/Malahide, although stations from Malahide to Connolly will be served by commuter services (see below).


Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November

Southside services will operate as normal to and from Connolly Station.

Northern Commuter services will operate to and from Connolly Station and will not serve Tara and Pearse Stations. These services will call additionally at all DART stations between Malahide and Connolly., Click here for revised timetable details from our journey planner.


Please note: On Friday 28th November, DART services after 21.00hrs will operate between Connolly and Bray/Greystones only.

22:05hrs Drogheda - Connolly service will operate to Malahide with a bus transfer serving all stations south of Malahide to Connolly.

23:20hrs Connolly - Dundalk service will operate as a bus transfer to Malahide with a train operating all stations north of Malahide to Dundalk.

Iarnród Éireann apologises for any inconvenience these essential works may cause.

http://www.irishrail.ie/

[ThomasJ]

well whatever the case with Saturday services Sunday commuter services are Every two hours hopefully ie will fix that for that weekend make them hourly

Cheers for posting that victor

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by Victor

If this is electrical work, why can't northside DART services be operated by DMUs? I don't think the occassional northern line service will be able to handle Saturday afternoon crowds for the entire northside DART.

Usual combination of genius in Irish Rail, no DMU driver is cleared to drive the Howth branch and only the 2600 fleet are allowed to operate on the branch.

Whatever they are up to they are making a fine mess

[ThomasJ]

as usual howth branch are left out in the cold with no services

Do the have stock to run extra northern line services?

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Usual combination of genius in Irish Rail, no DMU driver is cleared to drive the Howth branch and only the 2600 fleet are allowed to operate on the branch.

So ... stick a 2600 on shuttle work Howth-Howth Junction and whatever else on Howth Junction-Connolly.

[Mickey H]

Enterprise News
Enterprise - 0650 Belfast Central to Dublin Connolly 18-Nov-2008 15:49
Translink wish to advise passengers that due due to essential maintenance work by Iarnród Ếireann the 0650 Enterprise Service from Belfast Central to Dublin Connolly on Saturday 29 November will terminate at Drogheda.

A bus substitution service will operate from Drogheda to Dublin Connolly.

[Thomas Ralph]

Originally Posted by Victor

So ... stick a 2600 on shuttle work Howth-Howth Junction and whatever else on Howth Junction-Connolly.

That would make sense. Therefore, no chance of it happening.

[ThomasJ]

a reminder no northbound DARTs north of Connolly after 21:30hrs tonight and for the weekend.

Northern commuter services operate to from malahide after 22:00hrs tonight with bus transfers and to and from Connolly tomorrow and Sunday calling at all DART stations between malahide and Connolly

Last dart tonight will be to malahide. Last howthbound has left the city.


Southbound DARTs operate to and from Connolly

Maynooth operate as normal to and from pearse

[Rashers]

So lets think about this.
All Connolly - Howth Junction DARTs not operating, but a limited running Drogheda-Connolly service will stop at all these DART stations.
Dublin Bus not honouring rail tickets.
One of the busiest shopping days of the year.
16.05 ex Connolly I assume departed ok.
However, the next northbound commuter service was not scheduled for another hour @ 17.05. And guess what.
They decided to run a 4 car commuter to handle all the passengers.
Complete chaos. I have rarely witnessed such levels of overcrowding. It was worse then peak daily travel, which I experience every day.
It was especially bad for all the parents with kids and buggy's.
And of course, empty commuter trains left in the sidings in Connolly.
So for zero cost, they could have simply added another 4 carriages, and made life so much easier for everyone.
Anybody with an ounce of common sense could have told you to expect this service to be busy.
Funny thing is my wife actually wanted to drive, but I said, no, the train would be better. Nice experience, as part of a day out.
There were still no seats by Skerries, although the overcrowding had reduced.
As is generally the case, driver never bothered to apologise
I would love for someone to explain why they did this? Did someone not sit down and plan this schedule out.
Maybe none of the DART stations can handle 8 car Commuter trains? I would have thought they could handle the same, but maybe I am wrong.
If they could not run an 8 car service, they should have at least ran something around 16.25 like they do every other day. Or else put in somemore 6 carriage railcars.
I also came in around 1pm, and although there were no seats left, at least you could stand in comfort.

Anyone any thoughts on how they called it so wrong? I assume it's not worth complaining. I rang a few weeks ago to complain about no announcements for delays one evening. Guy took my details. Told me someone would ring me from the Northern Suburban office next morning, but I'm still waiting.

[Mark Gleeson]

I was on a 8 coach train across the northside earlier, its not a problem but the penny pinchers have dictated only 4 coach trains on weekends

Monthly and Annual tickets should have been honored on the bus

DART services should have run to at least Clontarf Rd if not Killester

Announcement s today where horrible, they couldn't make up their mind, it went a bit like

Clontarf Rd, Killester, Harmonstown, Kilbarrack, Howth Junction then every station to Drogheda except Mosney. So Rahney got lost and Mosney just confused things

[Mark Gleeson]

Dublin Bus are honouring tickets from what I've been told