Number of carriages on Cork-Dublin services

[comcor]

Why do some Cork-Dublin services have 5 standard class carriages and some have 4?

I'm currently on the 17:00 Dublin-Cork and there are significant numbers standing? Why? Because there's only 4 standard class carriages.

If the different configs have to be operated for some reason, is there a good reason they can't be kept away from the 17:00, 18:00 and 19:00 ex Dublin and the 06:15 and 07:30 ex Cork as these trains have higher loads than normal?

[Mark Gleeson]

From time to time the mk4 sets operate short a coach due a failure

Over a week every set works every service so it luck of the draw

There was talk of having 2 9 coach sets in the past but the rostering issue put an end to that

[dowlingm]

Firstly, you can have sets in the right place half the day or all day. All day usually means parking them which reduces set productivity.

I've been looking at the Cork-Dublin timetable to see what could be done but the reality is that there are three ways to approach being above the available capacity - get more capacity, spread the demand onto adjacent services or yield manage.

In the first, while a little more capacity might arise when all 22000s are in service the reality is that money and track time will limit net gains.

In the second, most non Cork-Dublin services make setdowns in the commuter zone and are likely as full as those mentioned above. An example of this would be excusing the 1800 Heuston-Cork the set down at Ballybrophy, extending the 1805 beyond Portlaoise and tweaking the departure of the shuttle set. But that assumes that the set is either not needed to head back or more importantly that there is room on the 1805, which there may not be.

So that leaves a politically uncomfortable option - revoking the Brennan giveaway by reintroducing curbs on pass use at peak times or at the very least where IE can nominate certain services which are deemed chronically overfull while doing its best to ensure that a later service will run to take intending pass holders.

Mark G: what was the rostering issue again?

[Jamie2k9]

Are all the Mark 4 trains being used as there is always one outside Heuston with around 5 carrages all apart and a DVT car.

22000 operated the 15.00 on Wednesday but there was Mark 4 sets in Heuston and it had nothing to do with a train failure. Low demand?

[dowlingm]

Some midday services are 22s to match demand.

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

Are all the Mark 4 trains being used as there is always one outside Heuston with around 5 carrages all apart and a DVT car.

7 sets are needed every week day to maintain the schedule. 8 full sets are available, with 3 additional carriages available. http://www.irishrail.ie/index.jsp?p=123&n=209

However, as two morning services are operated by 22000s, 2 of the 7 sets only need to do one return trip, while the other 5 do two return trips every day.

Assuming that the eighth set is in deep maintenance, it is very difficult for to arrange for a longer set to be used on the morning peak to Dublin and the evening peak to Cork.

[Mark Gleeson]

Friday-Sunday no ICR's are used, and from time to time if there is demand the mid week ICR services are switched to Mk4

[Mark Gleeson]

There are seven links, so a train cycles through each service in the timetable.

There is no scope for playing around as a train which arrives at 13:20 leaves at 14:00

[Inniskeen]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

From time to time the mk4 sets operate short a coach due a failure

Over a week every set works every service so it luck of the draw

There was talk of having 2 9 coach sets in the past but the rostering issue put an end to that

Not sure how many sets are currently operating with a reduced formation, but at least three sets were simultaneously operating with seven coaches at various times over the last few months. Indeed I believe that a six car formation had an outing in recent times.

In honesty seven coaches are generally adequate for even the busiest Cork trains. Where there are problems it usually involves services with connections to/from the Kerry line or those with stops at intermediate stations between Dublin and Portlaoise. Indeed most of the Cork trains I have used in recent years rarely load much over 200 passengers, well within the capacity of a seven coach Mk4 and typically within the capacity of a 3-car ICR. Obviously weekends are a bit busier especially if there are sporting events taking place.

Given the level of spare capacity available on most Heuston services, it is now rare for Irish Rail to operate special trains even on busy days such as today when the Ireland V Scotland Rugby International takes place. As far as I am aware the only additional service is a 2030 to Galway, presumeably because the last scheduled service is too late to accommodate returning supporters.