enterprise ex Dublin December 27

EnterpriseUser · 27-12-2009, 11:07

The 1000 Enterprise left Dublin over twenty minutes late due to the engine arriving late.
No heat in the B carriage either. Still the staff are friendly and hot breakfast available: probably the only
service in Ireland or the UK with a full catering service. Generator vans from the Mark 3
sets are coming next year. Connolly station these days is positively cosmopolitan with a restaurant/bar, two coffee
shops and a news vendor. The station is clean and very accessible. Even the toilets
are much improved.

Thomas Ralph · 28-12-2009, 14:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnterpriseUser

probably the only
service in Ireland or the UK with a full catering service

Random Cork-Heuston trains do have proper meal services.

Mark Gleeson · 28-12-2009, 15:11

But it was 30 minutes late into Belfast, punctuality and reliability effect 100% of passengers, few will have breakfast.

Not to mention failure to implement EU regulations, yes the Enterprise is truly great

EnterpriseUser · 29-12-2009, 16:15

Mark: agreed on punctuality; the engine to pull the train was late arriving! If the service was faster; more frequent and, most importantly, reliable then passenger usage would soar. In current weather conditions the bus has been slow. Breakfast is a bonus and definitely not on offer on any other IE services at the weekend!

Mark Gleeson · 29-12-2009, 17:05

Breakfast is/was offered on Saturday on all services carrying full catering facilities since Rail Gourmet took over. Its probably been withdrawn at this stage due to non existent take up

Unless you go first class its rather hard to eat on Enterprise, the dining car is somewhat lacking in seats and tables, unlike Dublin Cork where the dining car has first class sized tables.

The Enterprise service is an embarrassment, so slow that the RPSI have been able to match and improve on the 1947 2:15 timing with museum pieces to level with the standard time currently offered

dowlingm · 30-12-2009, 04:31

I guess the question is - where did the engine that brought in the set go?

PLUMB LOCO · 30-12-2009, 14:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Breakfast is/was offered on Saturday on all services carrying full catering facilities since Rail Gourmet took over. Its probably been withdrawn at this stage due to non existent take up

Unless you go first class its rather hard to eat on Enterprise, the dining car is somewhat lacking in seats and tables, unlike Dublin Cork where the dining car has first class sized tables.

The Enterprise service is an embarrassment, so slow that the RPSI have been able to match and improve on the 1947 2:15 timing with museum pieces to level with the standard time currently offered

Trying to work out from your reply whether or not RUI has a position on the whole issue of rail catering or is it considered superflous like Fastrack, station staff, buildings etc?

tigger1962 · 30-12-2009, 15:05

I think rui position is on their website. My personal experience based on years of travel on most services in roi. The trolly service is as per usual fare. Overpriced. The catering carriage on the enterprise is one of the worst I seen. All stainless steel and hard to eat at

Mark Gleeson · 30-12-2009, 15:37

Give it a break, fact is Rail Gourmet tried it and it didn't work out.

Official policy is to avoid use of on train catering due to high price levels, senior Rail Gourmet management have admitted quite publicly that things are too expensive. All said the service is better with a better range than what network catering managed

That said Enterprise is provided under a separate contract

tigger1962 · 30-12-2009, 16:22

Personally speaking I found the service on the cork train better and a better selection on the trolly service! But then I only travel on the enterprise daily and can't really know what other catering is like on a daily basis.

James Shields · 30-12-2009, 23:26

The journey time on the Enterprise is ridiculous. The Dublin-Belfast bus service is almost as fast, comfortable, reliable, runs hourly 24 hours a day, and a fraction of the price. It's hard to see why anyone would still take the train.

The motorway makes the car journey very quick and easy, and will be even quicker once the last few stretches of single carriageway are removed from the A1.

I hope the Enterprise can be improved, but to compete with the motorway dependable journey times of around 90 mins are required, and it's hard to see that being achieved without extra tracks out of Dublin.

tigger1962 · 03-01-2010, 10:20

its sad to say this but the best service I've had on the northern line was when the malahide aquaduct was out of action... Purely because of the bus service using the m1 and port tunnel.

Now that newry is close to being bypassed and and as new stretches of the A1 open, the trip to belfast will be much faster and eventually leading to a much better bus service. I don't know how Irish Rail/Translink will be able to "compete" with this unless something radical is done. I know thanks to the recent Irish Rail timetable changes, I'll be switching to the bus for my morning journey soon.

27-12-2009, 11:07	#1
EnterpriseUser Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 60	enterprise ex Dublin December 27 The 1000 Enterprise left Dublin over twenty minutes late due to the engine arriving late. No heat in the B carriage either. Still the staff are friendly and hot breakfast available: probably the only service in Ireland or the UK with a full catering service. Generator vans from the Mark 3 sets are coming next year. Connolly station these days is positively cosmopolitan with a restaurant/bar, two coffee shops and a news vendor. The station is clean and very accessible. Even the toilets are much improved.

28-12-2009, 15:11	#3
Mark Gleeson Technical Officer Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Coach C, Seat 33 Posts: 12,669	But it was 30 minutes late into Belfast, punctuality and reliability effect 100% of passengers, few will have breakfast. Not to mention failure to implement EU regulations, yes the Enterprise is truly great __________________ Unhappy with new timetable - let us know

29-12-2009, 17:05	#5
Mark Gleeson Technical Officer Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Coach C, Seat 33 Posts: 12,669	Breakfast is/was offered on Saturday on all services carrying full catering facilities since Rail Gourmet took over. Its probably been withdrawn at this stage due to non existent take up Unless you go first class its rather hard to eat on Enterprise, the dining car is somewhat lacking in seats and tables, unlike Dublin Cork where the dining car has first class sized tables. The Enterprise service is an embarrassment, so slow that the RPSI have been able to match and improve on the 1947 2:15 timing with museum pieces to level with the standard time currently offered __________________ Unhappy with new timetable - let us know

30-12-2009, 15:37	#9
Mark Gleeson Technical Officer Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Coach C, Seat 33 Posts: 12,669	Give it a break, fact is Rail Gourmet tried it and it didn't work out. Official policy is to avoid use of on train catering due to high price levels, senior Rail Gourmet management have admitted quite publicly that things are too expensive. All said the service is better with a better range than what network catering managed That said Enterprise is provided under a separate contract __________________ Unhappy with new timetable - let us know

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29-12-2009, 16:15	#4
EnterpriseUser Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 60	Mark: agreed on punctuality; the engine to pull the train was late arriving! If the service was faster; more frequent and, most importantly, reliable then passenger usage would soar. In current weather conditions the bus has been slow. Breakfast is a bonus and definitely not on offer on any other IE services at the weekend!

30-12-2009, 04:31	#6
dowlingm Really Really Regluar Poster Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,371	I guess the question is - where did the engine that brought in the set go?

30-12-2009, 15:05	#8
tigger1962 Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kilcurry Posts: 501	I think rui position is on their website. My personal experience based on years of travel on most services in roi. The trolly service is as per usual fare. Overpriced. The catering carriage on the enterprise is one of the worst I seen. All stainless steel and hard to eat at

30-12-2009, 16:22	#10
tigger1962 Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kilcurry Posts: 501	Personally speaking I found the service on the cork train better and a better selection on the trolly service! But then I only travel on the enterprise daily and can't really know what other catering is like on a daily basis.

30-12-2009, 23:26	#11
James Shields Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Drogheda, Ireland Posts: 1,275	The journey time on the Enterprise is ridiculous. The Dublin-Belfast bus service is almost as fast, comfortable, reliable, runs hourly 24 hours a day, and a fraction of the price. It's hard to see why anyone would still take the train. The motorway makes the car journey very quick and easy, and will be even quicker once the last few stretches of single carriageway are removed from the A1. I hope the Enterprise can be improved, but to compete with the motorway dependable journey times of around 90 mins are required, and it's hard to see that being achieved without extra tracks out of Dublin.

03-01-2010, 10:20	#12
tigger1962 Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kilcurry Posts: 501	its sad to say this but the best service I've had on the northern line was when the malahide aquaduct was out of action... Purely because of the bus service using the m1 and port tunnel. Now that newry is close to being bypassed and and as new stretches of the A1 open, the trip to belfast will be much faster and eventually leading to a much better bus service. I don't know how Irish Rail/Translink will be able to "compete" with this unless something radical is done. I know thanks to the recent Irish Rail timetable changes, I'll be switching to the bus for my morning journey soon.