[25/10/2011] Connolly, DART, Luas - disruption potential

[Colm Moore]

http://www.met.ie/forecasts/

Fog will clear on Tuesday morning, then occasional showers will affect southern and western counties. However, elsewhere will be mainly dry with sunny intervals. Winds will be light to moderate, south to southwest and temperatures will rise to between 10 and 13 degrees Celsius.

Tides: http://www.sailing.ie/LinkClick.aspx...=211 &mid=666

Based on Monday's floods, there are specific risks to the following areas.

• Entire Dublin area (not Heuston-side services) may have signalling issues.
• Enterprise / Northern Line - Killester-Clontarf Road and possibly other locations.
• Sligo / Maynooth Line - Broombridge
• DART - Killester-Clontarf Road, Seapoint, Sandycove-Dun Laoghaire
• Luas Red Line - from Blackhorse to The Point (especially at high tide 11:00 and 23:00) and from Saggart to Belgard.
• Luas Green Line - from Beechwood to St. Stephen's Green

[James Howard]

Luckily enough, I'm not on the train today but a summary of Irish Rail's twitter feed is pretty typical of Irish Rail. In 20 minutes, delays have gone from 20-30 minutes to 30-60 minutes.

Delays now 30-60 mins on DART, Maynooth, Northern, apologies, and thank you for your patience
5 minutes ago

IrishRail IrishRail
Delays worsening on DART, Commuter & Sligo/Belfast services - approx 30-45 mins delays. Trains now suspended thru Lansdowne Rd, tree down
11 minutes ago

IrishRail IrishRail
Very slow through Connolly in particular, signalling equipment damage means one route through Connolly for all trains, apologies for delays
22 minutes ago

IrishRail IrishRail
Delays now 20-30 mins approx on DART, Northern/Maynooth Commuter, Belfast, Sligo, Rosslare flood damage to signalling equipment Dublin area
24 minutes ago

[Inniskeen]

Looks as if Irish Rail need to urgently revise their contingency plans during periods of significant signalling disruption. It is clear that DART operations are not compatible with other than minor signal failures as typically such failures render coded signals inoperative resulting in DART movements being restricted to a maximum running speed of about 10 mph.

While such working over short sections (say between two signals) may be practical, DARTs crawling along at 10 mph over lengthy sections of line simply collapses the DART service and massively delays other services. Yet another operational disaster for Irish Rail with attendant misery for their customers.

[Colm Moore]

http://irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=1225

Dublin area floods: services operating with severe delays by Corporate Communications
Tuesday 25th October - UPDATE 08.55hrs

Following yesterday's flooding, services have resumed this morning on all routes.

There are significant delays however.

On DART, Northern Commuter and Maynooth/M3 services, customers should expect serious delays (approx 30-60 mins) as there are speed restrictions in some areas, as well as flood damage to signalling equipment.

A tree had fallen earlier at Lansdowne Road, but this has now been cleared.

Bayside Station is closed due to a flooded station building, customers should use Sutton or Howth Junction Stations.

Drumcondra Station is also closed.

Belfast, Sligo and Rosslare services will also operate, with some delays of 30-50 minutes approximately.

All Heuston services are operating.


We will update this website and our twitter account http://twitter.com/irishrail with the latest service information.

We apologise for the disruption, and thank customers for their patience and understanding.

[Colm Moore]

http://www.luas.ie/travel-updates/

9.45pm ---- Tuesday October 25 2011

The Luas Green Line is operating between Brides Glen and Balally stop only.

There is no service between Balally and St Stephen' s Green

This is due to flooding in a sub station on the Balally - St Stephen's Green Section of the Green Line

Luas tickets are valid on Dublin Bus

Luas Red Line services are operating as normal. Saggart to Connolly and Tallaght to The Point.

Kind regards,

Luas Customer Care

Freephone Customer Care: 1800 300 604
Web: www.luas.ie
Email: info@luas.ie
Follow us on Twitter: @Luas

[Mark Gleeson]

Given the scale of difficulties two stations closed due flooding major flooding near Glenageary and the odd tree falling to provide any service is something

Given Dart carries way more people it is entitled to priority. There was probably a lot of pass signal xx at danger this morning. Given the slow speeds at Connolly a coded circuit failure is not going to be that bad. Having to run single line due to equipment damage is the real problem

[Colm Moore]

http://irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=1225

Dublin area floods: Dun Laoghaire to Bray suspended, severe delays to DART/Commuter by Corporate Communications

Tuesday 25th October - UPDATE 10.15hrs

There are significant delays to services this morning due to the effects of flooding.

UPDATE: Services are currently suspended between Dun Laoghaire and Bray due to flooding on the line. Dublin Bus will accept rail tickets.

On DART, Northern Commuter and Maynooth/M3 services, customers should expect serious delays (approx 30-60 mins) as there are speed restrictions in some areas, as well as flood damage to signalling equipment.

A tree had fallen earlier at Lansdowne Road, but this has now been cleared.

Bayside Station is closed due to a flooded station building, customers should use Sutton or Howth Junction Stations.

Drumcondra Station is also closed.

Belfast, Sligo and Rosslare services will also operate, with some delays of 30-50 minutes approximately.

All Heuston services are operating.


We will update this website and our twitter account http://twitter.com/irishrail with the latest service information.

We apologise for the disruption, and thank customers for their patience and understanding.

[Colm Moore]

http://www.met.ie/forecasts/

25 October 2011 05:22

Today

Mist and fog in many areas at first, clearing gradually. Many areas dry this morning, but outbreaks of rain in south Leinster and east Munster will move northwards during the morning and early afternoon to affect the rest of Leinster and parts of Ulster, with a risk of some heavy, thundery bursts, but it will be followed by mainly dry weather during the day. West Munster and much of Connacht will be brighter, with sunny spells and scattered showers, some of the showers heavy in coastal areas. Maximum temperatures 10 to 13 Celsius, in a light to moderate southwest breeze, backing southerly.


Tonight

Tonight, most areas will be dry, with clear spells, but thee will be further scattered showers, mainly in coastal areas, some of them heavy. Misty in places, with fog patches. Cold. Minimum temperatures 2 to 5 Celsius, in a light southerly breeze.

[Colm Moore]

http://irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=1225

Dublin area floods: Dun Laoghaire to Bray suspended, severe delays to DART/Commuter by Corporate Communications

Tuesday 25th October - UPDATE 10.25hrs

There are significant delays to services this morning due to the effects of flooding.

UPDATE: Services have resumed between Dun Laoghaire and Bray following flooding on the line. However, there will be delays due to reduced speed through flooded area.

On DART, Northern Commuter and Maynooth/M3 services, customers should expect serious delays (approx 30-60 mins) as there are speed restrictions in some areas, as well as flood damage to signalling equipment.

UPDATE: All Maynooth / M3 Parkway trains now operating to/from Docklands, to ease congestion at Connolly.


Bayside Station is closed due to a flooded station building, customers should use Sutton or Howth Junction Stations.

Drumcondra Station is also closed.

Belfast, Sligo and Rosslare services will also operate, with some delays of 30-50 minutes approximately.

All Heuston services are operating.


We will update this website and our twitter account http://twitter.com/irishrail with the latest service information.

We apologise for the disruption, and thank customers for their patience and understanding.

[comcor]

Is everything OK elsewhere in the country?

I know the worst of the rain was around Dublin and Wicklow, but it hasn't exactly been dry elsewhere.

When I came up to Dublin yesterday, there were parts of Western Laois where it looked like the line was crossing the middle of a lake. Any more on top of that and there could have been problems.

And it normally takes some light drizzle to flood the Limerick-Ennis line.

[Inniskeen]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Given the scale of difficulties two stations closed due flooding major flooding near Glenageary and the odd tree falling to provide any service is something

Given Dart carries way more people it is entitled to priority. There was probably a lot of pass signal xx at danger this morning. Given the slow speeds at Connolly a coded circuit failure is not going to be that bad. Having to run single line due to equipment damage is the real problem

Advice from Irish Rail this morning was as follows
"Reduced speed primarily at Serpentine crossing near Sandymount; Harmonstown; Broombridge. DART/Commuter will operate with 5-10 min delay"

In reality the delays were catastrophic. This is not to criticise train crews, signal maintainers and others who were faced with horrific conditions in getting to work. I am criticising the fact that Irish Rail do not appear to be able to reliably evaluate the likely effect on services of operating constraints. This is a recurrent theme especially in respect of DART operations which are especially sensitive to disruptions to the signalling system.

As regards DART being entitled to priority based on numbers carried - this is a dubious argument given that 1) average DART journeys are very short (around 9km, I believe), 2) DART usage is similar or less than combined northern and western commuter service usage and 3) average peak loading per DART path is less than average northern or western commuter usage.

DART is now so slow that even on a good day the service is essentially incompatible with even modestly competitive longer distance commuter and intercity services on the northern line beyond Howth Junction - this issue is one of the major reasons for the flight away from the railway along the northern corridor and the deep scepticism about future investment, particularly the ill conceived Clongriffin to Dublin Airport scheme.

[Mark Gleeson]

DART carries 17 million per annum which is more than twice the sum of Northern and Maynooth usage

There is flooding (Serpentine Ave is a known problem location). All routes are running

Compare to Luas which has just given up between Balally and City because they have no redundancy in there power supply

[Mickey H]

Line now closed Newry to Portadown due to flood damage

[markpb]

Why was Drumcondra closed?

[TheDarkSide]

Glasnevin junction was badly flooded

[ThomasJ]

Major disruption - NO DARTs NORTH OF CONNOLLY - Major signalling fault

Dublin area floods:Major disruption to Northbound DART and Commuter services by Corporate Communications

Tuesday 25th October - UPDATE 18:40hrs

MAJOR SIGNAL FAULT AT HOWTH JUNCTION DUE TO FLOODING

No DART services currently operating North of Connolly. DART services operating between Connolly and Bray/Greystones only

Dublin Bus are honouring all rail tickets

Northern Commuter services are still operating but subject to severe delays

Maynooth services are operating subject to minor delays. Drumcondra Station has reopened.

UPDATE: Belfast services 16:50 and 19:00 Connolly - Belfast services will be amalgamated due to a set shortage. A bus transfer will be in place between Newry and Portadown with a train from Portadown to Belfast. The bus transfer is expected to remain for the duration of service this evening.

Sligo services are operating subject to minor delays

Rosslare services are operating subject to minor delays



All Heuston services are operating.

We will update this website and our twitter account http://twitter.com/irishrail with the latest service information.

We apologise for the disruption, and thank customers for their patience and understanding.

[Inniskeen]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

DART carries 17 million per annum which is more than twice the sum of Northern and Maynooth usage

There is flooding (Serpentine Ave is a known problem location). All routes are running

Compare to Luas which has just given up between Balally and City because they have no redundancy in there power supply

Don't think your numbers are entirely correct. DART services according to the CSO (based on figures from Irish Rail) indicate that 17.520 million journeys were made on DART in 2009. During the same year 11.868 million journeys were made on other Dublin suburban services. The latter figure would essentially relate to northern and western services (presumeably stations stations from Kilcock eastwards and Balbriggan southwards). Working the numbers would suggest that usage of inbound northern line combined with inbound western line services significantly exceed inbound northern line DART services. Likewise in the reverse direction. This calculation discounts intercity journeys from Enfield westwards and Gormanston northwards.

When you take into account the much lower average DART journey length, the near absolute priority given to DART is on somewhat shaky grounds. On top of this DART usage has been essentially stagnant for years while there has been massive growth in western and northern services.

[ThomasJ]

Major disruption due to major signalling fault as a result of flooding at howth junction

Dublin area floods:Major disruption to Northbound DART and Commuter services by Corporate Communications

Tuesday 25th October - UPDATE 18:45hrs

MAJOR SIGNAL FAULT AT HOWTH JUNCTION DUE TO FLOODING

No DART services currently operating North of Connolly. DART services operating between Connolly and Bray/Greystones only

Northern Commuter Services are cancelled until further notice

Dublin Bus are honouring all rail tickets

Maynooth services are operating subject to minor delays. Drumcondra Station has reopened.

UPDATE: Belfast services 19:00hrs Connolly Belfast is cancelled. Every effort is being made to source bus transfers

Sligo services are operating subject to minor delays

Rosslare services are operating subject to minor delays



All Heuston services are operating.

We will update this website and our twitter account http://twitter.com/irishrail with the latest service information.

We apologise for the disruption, and thank customers for their patience and understanding

[ThomasJ]

update

Dublin area floods:Major disruption to Northbound DART and Commuter services by Corporate Communications

Tuesday 25th October - UPDATE 18:50hrs

MAJOR SIGNAL FAULT AT HOWTH JUNCTION DUE TO FLOODING

No DART services currently operating North of Connolly. DART services operating between Connolly and Bray/Greystones only

Northern Commuter Services are cancelled until further notice

Trains currently between Howth Junction and Connolly will return to Connolly.

Southbound Drogheda Commuter services will terminate at Connolly

Every effort is being made to source buses

Dublin Bus are honouring all rail tickets

Maynooth services are operating subject to minor delays. Drumcondra Station has reopened.

UPDATE: Belfast services 19:00hrs Connolly Belfast is cancelled. Every effort is being made to source bus transfers

Sligo services are operating subject to minor delays

Rosslare services are operating subject to minor delays

[Rashers]

Any idea's what time this started impacting services? Seemingly large number of passengers to be sent back into Connolly. As someone who got what I believe was the last northbound Drogheda train last night (18.40), and was delayed by 1 hour between Howth Junction and Donabate, my heart goes out to them.
Must be very serious to impact so many travellers.