[05/03/2012] Nenagh, Limerick and Commuter service improvements

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4483&p=116&n=237

Nenagh, Limerick and Commuter service improvements, from 5th March 2012
02 March 2012

A new morning direct Intercity rail service from Nenagh and Roscrea amongst others to Dublin will commence this Monday, 5th March.

The new service is one of a number of changes which will benefit rail customers from the Nenagh branch line, serving Castleconnell, Birdhill, Nenagh, Roscrea and Cloughjordan. There will also be improvements to Limerick/Dublin services and Kildare commuter services as a result, following approval of changes by the National Transport Authority.

The new service and service changes which take effect Monday 5th March are:

- New 05.15 Limerick to Dublin via Nenagh service (Mon-Fri), serving Castleconnell (05.31), Birdhill (05.40), Nenagh (06.04), Cloughjordan (06.21) and Roscrea (06.38) arriving in Dublin Heuston at 08.25.

- The new 05.15 Limerick to Dublin via Nenagh service will also serve Ballybrophy (07.01), Portlaoise (07.16), Sallins (07.58), Hazelhatch (08.07) and Adamstown (08.12), giving a new morning commuter train for these towns.

- New direct 13.40 Heuston to Limerick service daily (Mon to Sat) serving Portlaoise (14.39), Thurles (15.08) and arriving in Limerick at 15.50.

- Nenagh branch customers will now connect off the 17.05 Heuston to Tralee service in the evenings at Ballybrophy (departs Ballybrophy 18.20), replacing the existing connection off the 17.25 Heuston to Limerick service

- A new additional evening connection will be provided for Nenagh branch customers off the 18.00 Heuston to Cork service at Ballybrophy (departs Ballybrophy at 19.15)

- The existing 16.45 Limerick to Ballybrophy via Nenagh service will be rescheduled to depart at 16.05, arriving at Ballybrophy at 18.00, and connecting with the 18.16 Ballybrophy to Dublin Heuston service.

- The existing 17.45 Limerick to Nenagh commuter service will now be rescheduled to depart at 17.05 from Limerick to Nenagh, and will continue to Cloughjordan and Ballybrophy also.

- The existing 10.05 Ballybrophy to Limerick via Nenagh will now arrive in Limerick at 11.59, and the 12.00 Limerick to Limerick Junction will now depart at 12.02, to allow a connection between these two trains.

The service changes will increase connections between Dublin and Nenagh from two each way currently to four Nenagh to Dublin connections and three Dublin to Nenagh connections daily.


Fares for customers travelling from Nenagh and Roscrea to Dublin are:

Nenagh-Dublin

Adult Single: €25.50
Adult Day Return: €26.00
Adult Open Return: €33.00
Student Single: €17.50
Student Open Return: €25.00
Child fares: 50% of adult fare rounded down to nearest 50c


Roscrea-Dublin

Adult Single: €24.00
Adult Day Return: €24.50
Adult Open Return: €32.00
Student Single: €14.50
Student Open Return: €20.90
Child fares: 50% of adult fare rounded down to nearest 50c


Full details of the new Dublin to Limerick via Nenagh timetable are now available.

[Destructix]

The new direct that service at 13:40 should be earlier like 11:30. Although it will get the numbers for Limerick at Thurles. Templemore should also have been included.

[dowlingm]

Originally Posted by Destructix

The new direct that service at 13:40 should be earlier like 11:30. Although it will get the numbers for Limerick at Thurles. Templemore should also have been included.

How many people in Templemore will want to go to Limerick off peak? Enough to stop a speeding 22000 for?

[2200DMU]

19 passengers used the via Nenagh branch of the line on 5 March.

[Mark Gleeson]

Wow 19, just about covers the extra hour on the staff wages. How many of that 19 were 'real' passengers, i.e. excluding journalists, hangers on and IE staff

It was 15 minutes late out of Ballybrophy on the 5th which delayed other trains, was about 7 minutes late this morning

Be interesting to see what the numbers are like in a months time

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...312851843.html

[Inniskeen]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Wow 19, just about covers the extra hour on the staff wages. How many of that 19 were 'real' passengers, i.e. excluding journalists, hangers on and IE staff

It was 15 minutes late out of Ballybrophy on the 5th which delayed other trains, was about 7 minutes late this morning

Be interesting to see what the numbers are like in a months time

The 0515 from Limerick was less than three minutes late approaching Cherryville Junction on Monday. It was subsequently delayed by the late running 0600 from Waterford. In fact the Limerick train could have been been about 18 minutes earlier into Heuston had it preceded the Waterford train at Kildare and not been required to stop at Sallins, Hazelhatch and Adamstown.

The following 0725 from Portlaoise and 0515 from Westport arrived in Heuston one and a half and two and a half minutes late respectively.

[ACustomer]

How many of the 19 passengerd were migrants from the usual, later service?

[Destructix]

Heard a very funny story about Alan Kelly today but Colm won't let me post it

Can't blame poor advertising if it doesn't pay off. Hmm 19 will go down to 8 next week and down to 4 after that.

[Mark Gleeson]

Its been blasted around north tipp for the last two weeks and made the Independent (which they read in Tipp) so claims of we didn't know won't wash

[dowlingm]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Wow 19, just about covers the extra hour on the staff wages. How many of that 19 were 'real' passengers, i.e. excluding journalists

Like they would be out of bed

[Mark Gleeson]

Down to 18 as I can eliminate one Irish Rail manager and his camera

[Destructix]

-3 Rail enthusiasts

[dowlingm]

If I understand correctly AK's big idea is having an impact on suburban punctuality?

[Destructix]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Its been blasted around north tipp for the last two weeks and made the Independent (which they read in Tipp) so claims of we didn't know won't wash

Blasted around Limerick too. Also Alan Kelly appeared in numerous papers here holding a sign with €26 return wrote on it.

[Mark Gleeson]

25 minutes late this morning

[comcor]

As well as incoveniencing the users of other services, that kind of punctuality is going to do nothing to promote the service.

While I understand the quality of the track is poor, that doesn't explain why they can't meet the published timetable. What is the reason for this?

[Mark Gleeson]

The journey time given to the 5:15 for the Limerick Ballybrophy leg is 10 minutes less than any other train on the route.

Isn't helped by the fact an ICR is slower on the route compared to a 2700 railcar

[dowlingm]

So in summary they could have sent a 2700 up to meet the existing Cork-Dublin train which calls at Ballybrophy, kept the schedule and not wrecked suburban punctuality, but it wouldn't give AK's 10 best friends a one-seat ride to work

[Mark Gleeson]

And that train would have made it back to Limerick for 8:45 am