2011 Proposed Timetable - Connolly Based Services

[Mark Gleeson]

Two changes are needed, some work at Bray to eliminate a small pinch point at the south end of the platforms and two tracks from tunnel 4 to Greystones

That would have a substantial impact but you wouldn't let you run any extra trains really

[neoncircles]

Originally Posted by sublimity

Any idea when Rosslare will be getting a 6 coach 22000?
Also, when will extra 22000's be arriving on the Rosslare line?

Many platforms on the way to Rosslare are too short for a 6 piece, so until they get selective door opening there wont be any 6 piece.

[Jamie2k9]

I can think of other lines which would need a 6 car a lot more than Rosslare line services.

so until they get selective door opening there wont be any 6 piece

Are they planning to get this?

[KSW]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Together with our colleagues in Wexford a draft Dublin Rosslare service timetable is underdevelopment (trains ex Dublin on the hours 7,10,13,16,19 with 17/18 to Gorey/Wexford)

The best that can be realistically sought is a train every 3 hours Rosslare - Dublin with extra trains Gorey/Wexford to/from Dublin at peak hours.

[DangerM]

Mark – I fully appreciate these are Irish Rail issues and that you are trying to get a better service for those who commute daily on the Rosslare line but even if the “route has currently by far the best trains ever to operate on it” it is still to a very poor level of service. All I can say is I pity the people travelling back in the 70’s!

To accurately compare bus times to rail times, please take a look at the Wexford Bus timetable, they can get you from Gorey to Dublin city centre in 1hr 35 mins versus Irish Rail which takes 2hrs. On the train you need to leave Gorey at 06:45 to get into Dublin later than a bus that doesn’t leave until 07:05! Don’t even get me started on the fact that the last train back out of Dublin is as early as 18:30 whereas buses are around the clock. Is there any other route in Ireland where the last train is that early?

I also cannot understand how there is no way to speed the trains up as we have often left our station 15 minutes late and still miraculously made it into Dublin at the same time. Do you honestly believe there is not buffering on the timetable when we sit outside Greystones for 10 minutes each day? 10 – 15 minutes might not mean a lot to most but when you are travelling 3hrs a day every minute counts.

Finally, an annual Arklow to Connolly ticket costs the same as a Dundalk to Connolly ticket and I know the pricing is down to distance rather than service. It is completely unfair however that we pay the same price for such an inferior service. There are only 7 Arklow to Connolly services yet 15 Dundalk to Connolly services per day and the Dundalk to Connolly takes 1hr 30mins versus 1hr 45mins for the Arklow service.

[shweeney]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Two changes are needed, some work at Bray to eliminate a small pinch point at the south end of the platforms and two tracks from tunnel 4 to Greystones

from first 200 metres or so north from Greystones station are in a cutting blasted out of rock - can't see any justification for widening that for such marginal benefit.

They could definitely do things more efficiently at the Bray side though - sthbound trains are held until the northbound train has arrived and opened its doors, despite there being 2 tracks for about half a mile south from the station.

[Mark Gleeson]

The bulk of the line between Bray and Greystones was built to allow two tracks if required later. The track is generally now in the centre of the alignment to fit the overhead wires in without replacing bridges and reduce work required at tunnels. Problem of course is several extra tunnels built are single track only

The pinch point is just off the platform in Bray where all trains to/from Greystones have to share a short section of track, on both sides its two track

It is possible to hold a train south of the station to be passed but despite the opportunity to do so I have not seen it happen. This has been raised with Irish Rail as it would save precious minutes. The track layout in Greystones doesn't help matters either as a train approaching from Wicklow must be brought to a crawl or halt before entering the station as there is no trap points/run off to protect the train. There is on the main platform, southbound

None of these will reduce journey times, just reduce delays and make the system more resilient when delays occur.

[joey]

Why can't the line between Connolly and Heuston be restored. Capacity can't be an issue, even if they put a train every half hour to and from the two stations it would be of great benifit. This would save building an underground metro, maybe I have missed something obvious why this cant be done... There is also a disused line parellel to this line too.

[ThomasJ]

Originally Posted by joey

Why can't the line between Connolly and Heuston be restored. Capacity can't be an issue, even if they put a train every half hour to and from the two stations it would be of great benifit. This would save building an underground metro, maybe I have missed something obvious why this cant be done... There is also a disused line parellel to this line too.

capacity and accessability into connolly is a major issue!

Surely as an maynooth line passenger, you have noticed the amount of time some of the maynooth line services sit stuck between drumcondra and connolly, Its because part of the line inbound is shared with northbound services. Could you imagine if you threw heuston services in aswell!?

[ThomasJ]

any idea of when the proposed connolly side timetable is to be available to the public as a draft?

[dowlingm]

The main priority must be pushing forward with incremental improvements. Presumably DASH2 with the increased capacity on the loop line and the GCD turnback might help shift some trains to terminating south of Connolly? Closing the Maynooth line LCs might help get them moving westward with following trains being able to be dispatched sooner.

Regardless of how beneficial major projects might be (including the one I myself proposed only a few posts above) realistically IE needs to finish projects under way and thereafter capital allocations are likely to preclude major works like new stations and spurs. Someone needs to look hard at Connolly and figure out how some additional capacity can be squeezed from platform and track space - even in terms of how passengers are entering and egressing from platforms. Perhaps RUI have some ideas in that direction?

[Mark Gleeson]

Thread split following drift

We do not have sight of the Connolly draft yet, expected shortly

Our submission made some months ago http://www.railusers.ie/resources/Ti...engers2010.pdf

By no means perfect but at least we provide a justification as to why it is the way it is

[Fergal]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Thread split following drift

We do not have sight of the Connolly draft yet, expected shortly

Our submission made some months ago http://www.railusers.ie/resources/Ti...engers2010.pdf

By no means perfect but at least we provide a justification as to why it is the way it is

What about the off-peak side of that timetable. As far as I can see, that's an even bigger mess than the peak, especially for Malahide DART services, where 2 trains will call in 10 minutes, followed by an hours gap: see the 14.51 and 14.54 from Connolly for a good example.

[maloner]

Hi Mark,

I have to complement you and the other contributors of the proposed 2011 timetable - it makes a lot of sence - lets hope those making decisions can take it on board!

I realise your proposal is more focused on the Suburban timetables, however I would be curious if you have any insight into the possiblity of the 21:00 service out of Connolly towards Mullingar/Sligo? It's a real paing having such an early "Last Train".

Will have some Election hopefuls calling by the house this week - so if you have any ammunition I could use to add to lobby would be great.

Thanks

John

Originally Posted by ThomasJ

A number of things:

- there is no capacity for extra direct services, hence trains going to docklands,
- there is no space for direct trains in the morning between morning maynooth, pace, Longford and Sligo the line is clogged up sort of like the northern line!
- cutting the two morning trains from Longford in half would be a mistake, those are two of the busiest trains in the morning on the maynooth line, the first one only changed from maynooth to Longford at the last timetable
- with regards to the evening services why even still run the 17:15 or 18:17 to Longford if the 17:05 or 18:05 are calling at drumcondra? In fact if you were to cut back the 17:15 and 18:15, there's your 21:00hrs that was cancelled at the last minute a few years back!

[Mark Gleeson]

Back in 2007 Irish Rail proposed cutting back one of the 3 Dublin Longford evening trains to Mullingar and providing a 21:00 or 21:15 Connolly Longford service. Longford has a ridiculous 6 trains, 4 of which are express between 4 and 7pm there simply isn't demand to justify this

Seemed a very reasonable deal but the local politicians got in the way and Irish Rail didn't go ahead with it

So if you can stomach the Bray Longford train going to Mullingar only then you can have your later train to Longford

We sadly don't have the time to produce an entire week of timetables but beyond peak hours it shouldn't be that hard to fit any requirement. Looking at the timetable a 21:05 departure is the logical choice to keep the Sligo line pattern

[James Howard]

Losing either the 1715 or the 1817 from Connolly to Longford would be very little loss to most people given that they follow express trains by 10 and 12 minutes respectively and take about an extra 20 minutes. I find the 1817 so unreliable that I may as well wait the extra 50 minutes for the 1905 and travel in a reasonable amount of comfort. I have also been on the 1817 a couple of times where I've shared a car with cider swilling yobs and nobody else and I'd rather not do that again.

I think I've been on the 1715 about three times in 6 years of commuting and I take the 1817 about once every two months. Judging by the load beyond Maynooth I don't think may others would miss one of them if it finished at Mullingar.

A 2105 would be nice for me to allow a couple of scoops on a Friday night after work, but it wouldn't be a huge priority for office hours people (which is all Irish Rail seem to care about). But it could be a big help for people like shop staff or hospital staff. One thing that would be worth doing if they were to bring in a later train would be to talk to major employers like Intel to see if something could be fitted in with their shift patterns.

[ThomasJ]

Whatever happened to the proposed Connolly side timetable?

I thought we were expecting to see it?

[Mark Gleeson]

Connolly will follow once Heuston has been completed.

Bear in mind the form on the website allows feedback on the Connolly side timetable as well

[ThomasJ]

so as the heuston side timetable prepares to go live on may 8th, focus switches back to the connolly side timetable!

Iarnród Éireann will publish draft schedules for Connolly Station routes, including DART and Commuter, shortly, and will be inviting customers to express their views on the schedule proposed.

[paddyb180285]

By gum,

It's been a while. I was looking at the Irish Rail website. While I was there, I decided to look further ahead into the Irish Rail calender. There doesn't seem to be any changes coming soon as the current timetable appears to be valid until February 11th, 2012. In other words, when I look up services up to that particular date under the "Departing on" field, it displays the timetable. Hereafter, there is nothing. Unless, changes are going to be made between now and then.