[24-27/07/2009] Special Trains in connection with the U2 Concert at Croke Park

[ThomasJ]

From Irish Times article on U2 concerts
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...251230670.html

Iarnród Éireann said it will be running Dart services both ways to meet demand for several hours after the concert. Trains will leave when they are full.

[Mark Gleeson]

It doesn't say that on the Irish Rail site, nor is it what Irish Rail told me yesterday. So either they have been embarrassed into action or once again the usual incompetence in communication has left passengers clueless

Such fuzzy statements are no use, people need something solid, times of trains, will they serve Greystones etc

[ThomasJ]

Is the DART office saying the same today as they were yesterday?

[Mark Gleeson]

01 703 3504 to find out.

[ThomasJ]

They are not going to give exact times so best way will probably be

A suggestion:-

With the possability/probability that the concert could run late (boards.ie mentioned that the concert could go on until 11:30pm) would this be the best route for passengers to go about?

- On arriving at local DART station passengers should ask what the position is if the concert runs late

- If definate answer or no definate answer ask for a phone number/phone numbers to contact after the concert to confirm what the status is.

- Passengers will then know if there is any point in travelling back to the station?

Any ideas? Is this the best way to go about it? Who do people contact after the concert to find out the status?

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by ThomasJ

They are not going to give exact times so best way will probably be

Bad news is according to the Customer service desk in Connolly there are no extra DART services at all

[ThomasJ]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Bad news is according to the Customer service desk in Connolly there are no extra DART services at all

its contradicting the DART office isnt it. I was told by the DART Office they would be doing their best to everyone gets their train

[ThomasJ]

I had a few drinks with a mate in Quinns tonight and went for a train afterwards.

There were 3 Maynooth trains after the concert:
23:15hrs Connolly Maynooth special
23:29hrs Pearse Maynooth [the deferred 23.10hrs]
00:05hrs Connolly Maynooth special

Drumcondra was absolute madness tonight! Its quiet a while since I have seen numbers like that even on all ireland final day, even at connolly at its busiest of times even at pearse at its busiest of times, the numbers just kept on coming it was mental!

The first one got packed so quickly, the crowd control [have to say well done they did a great job] were moving everyone upto the very top of the train where there was space and left crammed. The next one I got it left completly crammed as well at 23:50hrs. Both were 8-carriages long

I have to say well done to crowd control moved everyone up so there was space made sure everyone was behind the yellow line. Announcements made on the loud speaker to ensure everyone was behind the yellow line and also announced it as the trains approached. It took about 10-15 minutes to have everyone on both trains numbers kept coming and there were that many people on the platform when the firsttrain approached people were still standing on the stairs waiting to be able to walk onto the platform.

Something controversial to end with, I was saying that Kildare trains should also be stopping here but after seeing tonight and friday night I don't think they would have coped numbers for both nights for the maynooth line were that big!

[ThomasJ]

I have to say though that even with what was supposedly only normal scheduled DART services the amount advertisement for that was pretty big compared to Commuter Services.

The lack of advertisements of any event associated with extra commuter services is pretty shocking to say the least.

Have to say kudos on the PRs on the lack of scheduled extra DART services over the U2 concert but dont forget that its not all just about DART services a couple of weeks ago the Bruce Springsteen concert at the RDS passengers had to find another way home because the train left, information on commuter services (Maynooth and Northern) leading upto that concert was very poor to say the least!

[Mark Gleeson]

There are serious problems in how Irish Rail deal with these special events. We caught them out, gave them every chance in the world to explain themselves and they still made a mess of it

You can be sure than several thousand more passengers could have been carried if the plans had been published clearly and well in advance.

[ThomasJ]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

There are serious problems in how Irish Rail deal with these special events. We caught them out, gave them every chance in the world to explain themselves and they still made a mess of it

You can be sure than several thousand more passengers could have been carried if the plans had been published clearly and well in advance.

Sorry the kudos is to RUI not Irish rail to clear up!

My point is that obviously DART has the budget to put up the posters for special events and notify passengers Commuter services don't The only notification Maynooth passengers had of extra services [apart from the website] was an A4 page stating extra services on the door of Drumcondra station! There was no mention of extra commuter services to be found anywhere in Connolly station! At least there was advertisements [weather poor or not] for DART services [well scheduled] at DART stations.