Intercity journey experiences

[Colm Moore]

Ooops, I took the wrong €20,000 from the bank.

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Just how does one legitmately acquire a return ticket and use it in the wrong direction?

If the ticket was bought in Dublin, surely one would be using the outbound "from Dublin" part of the ticket when leaving Heuston.

If the ticket was bought away from Dublin, surely one would be using the return "from Dublin" part of the ticket when leaving Heuston.

Some people will try to use both parts of a return ticket to travel in the same direction twice, but this tends to be against the rules, to prevent people fraudulently claiming that they used some other method to return.

[Thomas Ralph]

I'm betting on a screwed-up online booking.

[Mark Gleeson]

The collecting two tickets at once issue has been culled since the must use reservation number was brought in.

It is the customers responsibility to have the correct ticket. I am guessing a double use on the outbound leg of the return ticket. A return ticket is valid only for travel outwards on from date and can be used anytime till the expiry date

So buy a monthly return ticket on Monday dated for Monday and travel outwards on Tuesday => not valid for travel

[MaryK]

I was on the 18.00 train from Heuston to Cork this evening.

The RPU guy came around collecting tickets. He had his ID with RPU along the side otherwise he was wearing the Irish Rail suit uniform. One gent in our Carriage was on a €17 euro Dublin to Limerick ticket but it was for the 7 pm train rather than the 6 pm train.

The RPU guy got on his mobile and then informed the customer that he needed to pay a €20 excess for changing trains. He wished to get ID or a contact number from the UK gentleman so he could speak to someone to verify his identification. Eventually he produced a passport but the RPU guy was upset it was a UK passport and wanted to know if he also had an Irish passport.

This is when he told him he would also have to pay a €100 fine. The gentleman explained his plane had landed earlier than expected, he had gone through the barrier and had boarded the train in ignorance that he was required to go to the ticket office to change his ticket. Once the €100 fine was mentioned several other passengers offered the view to the RPU that this fine was unfair given that the UK gentleman was un-aware he had committed an offence and he was given advice not to proffer his address or pay the €100 fine.

I saw some cash exchange hands but I believe it was only the €20 upgrade. The RPU guy was polite, calm and un-ruffled by the general carriage population adding their 2 cent worth, and did say that all the T&C are on the website for all to see, but I did feel he had overstepped the mark when he looked for an Irish passport rather than a UK passport.

[neoncircles]

1725 Heuston-Limerick today. Crawled all the way to Hazelhatch and sat there for about 10 mins with no explanation. Arrived in Limerick about 25 minutes late.

[Jamie2k9]

Probaly stuck behind the 17:15 to Newbridge.

[Kilocharlie]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

Probaly stuck behind the 17:15 to Newbridge.

It always gets stuck behind the 1715 but that's build into the timetable. It has 41 minutes to reach Kildare, 11 or 12 minutes that it would need if it had a free run.

Perhaps something else delayed it today??

[Thomas Ralph]

Originally Posted by MaryK

I did feel he had overstepped the mark when he looked for an Irish passport rather than a UK passport.

Agreed; this is quite unreasonable especially as you are not obliged to produce any ID at all to RPU, only give your name and address.

[Mark Gleeson]

The receipt with the booking says

Changes and cancellations

Passengers wishing to travel on the same day, but on an alternative train other than the time shown on their ticket, can do so provided seats are available, by paying a surcharge. The surcharge of up to €40 should be paid at the booking office before boarding the train. If a booking office is not open the surcharge must be paid on board the train. All tickets are only valid for! travel on the dates printed on the ticket only.

Failure to produce a valid ticket, appropriate ID or surcharge where necessary will result in a fine of €100 together with the relevant unpaid fare.

So ignorance is not a valid defense and the UK rules are similar (but even less passenger friendly). The phone call was to check what the surcharge was for the journey in question.

This demand to produce ID is not on and does go beyond reasonable limits, bearing in mind the passenger is holding a ticket with there name on it. The ticket checker does not have the legal right to seek ID, you are required to give your name and address, where you boarded and where you are going. Refusal to give name and address may result in arrest.

[Thomas Ralph]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

the UK rules are similar (but even less passenger friendly).

Well, unless you're on a penalty fares train (which are mostly metro area ones that don't have advance tickets) a passenger using an advance on the wrong train is charged the full anytime fare from his origin to the next stop, with the option of either getting off there or paying the anytime fare to his desired destination. No fine or extra charge. Whether that's less passenger friendly than fine + excess is debatable (and will depend on the journey made).

If in this case the passenger got off without the €100 penalty notice then I think it's a good result for him. The excess should I think have been €12 (€15 already paid, excess to the highest online fare of €27).

[neoncircles]

Originally Posted by Kilocharlie

It always gets stuck behind the 1715 but that's build into the timetable. It has 41 minutes to reach Kildare, 11 or 12 minutes that it would need if it had a free run.

Perhaps something else delayed it today??

I think that was it- a Newbridge train overtook us just before Hazelhatch so it was obviously running late. Still somewhat disgraceful though- an Intercity train held up by a commuter one ad nauseum...

[Jamie2k9]

Traveled on 18,05 Waterford - Hueston tonight. It has being a while since I was last on it.

*Arrived in Carlow 19.15 departed at 19.33 - No announcement about delay - (It was because the 17.40 was deferred to 18.20 and 25 mile speed limit in parts between Cherryville & Athy)
*Arrived in Athy at 19.40 departed at 19.50 - No announcement about delay (18.40 delayed because of speed restrictions.)
*Stopped for 10 mins outside Heuston - No announcement about delay (presume Platform clearance.
*Stopped at end of platform 6,7,8 for 8 minutes.
*There was only 1 train on platform 5 all other platforms were empty.
*After we arrived two Irish Rail workers ran onto the train not letting passengers out. Then they raced up the train. One on platform one on train.
*They hit into a few passengers. They were messing and shouting at each other (Not very professional for staff expect it from a child).
*No air conditioning working in my carriage not sure about the rest of the train.

Normally we leave Newbridge at 19.59 and there is a 20.00 (all stops to Heuston) service. If our train is running a few mins late they hold the service so we wont be stuck behind it.

Tonight at 20.00 were we only approaching Cherryville Junction. We left Newbridge at 20.15 and the 20.00 still hadn't left. If it had left it would not affect out service as we would be able to pass it out by the time we catch up to it. Why have IE invested in 4 tracks and they don't use 2 of the 99% of the time.

[Carrage A]

Its being a while since I have got the train but got the 16.35 to Waterford today. IE realy need to have a new timetable on the route. Trains are arriving up to 15 mins early into Heuston and up to 10 in Waterford.

Sheduled Times/Actual Arrivals/Departures
Heuston 16.35 - departed 16.35
Celbridge 16.51 - arrived 16.48/departed 16.51
Nass 16.59 - arrived 16.57/departed 16.59
Kildare 17.16 - arrived 17.10/departed 17.16
Athy 17.35 - arrived 17.30/departed 17.35
Carlow 17.48 - arrived 17.44/departed 17.48
Thomastown 17.59 - arrived 17.59/departed 18.00
Kilkenny - 18.19 - arrived 18.14
Kilkenny - 18.22 - departed 18.24
Thomastown 18.34 - arrived 18.36/departed 18.36
Waterford 19.00 - arrived 18.55

There could be at least 15 - 20 minutes knocked off the journey time if there was a new timetable. You spend as much time stopped as you do moving. Have never seen a company run a train service as Irish Rail do.

[ACustomer]

Carrage A: Your timings are to the nearest full minute, which may not be a very accurate guide over short distances. However you report some times which I find it difficult to believe: for example Celbridge to Sallins/Naas in 6 minutes start to stop: for a journey of 7.5 miles this is on the optimistic side. Similarly Athy -Carlow in 9 minutes for 11.25 miles seems optimistic, given that the line speed on that section is 80mph. Finally 19 minutes for 20.5 miles Thomastown-Waterford, with the long uphill strecth for the first half of the journey, and the severe restrictions on the final mile into Waterford itself ???

I don't doubt that the timings could be tightened a bit, but you seem to have had a driver who drove with much more enthusiasm that usual. I would imagine that speed limits are better observed nowadays because black boxes record everything.

[Jamie2k9]

The 16.35 is timetabled to arrive Carlow at 17.46 and depart at 17.48 (there is a trolly change if it 2 by 3 car operating it). So quiet possible to do Athy-Carlow in 9 minutes. Everytime I am on the train it does it in 10mins.

[Colm Moore]

I'm on the 1430 Cork-Dublin.

I think we just might have left about a minute early, currently at Blarney. Lots of vibration and some wobble since Rathpeacon.

My reserved seat is occupied.

It is useful to see that there are menus on all tables, although perhaps it is one more thing to be thrown about by some 'yoofs'.

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I travelled down on 23 December. Between having the on-board wi-fi and someone to chat to for the trip, I have to say that the time did seem to pass much more quickly. Some wobble on the train, but not excessive that time and I only particularly noticed it a few times. Much confusion with the on-train announcements, with the host fumbling(!) the list of stations and announcing the wrong location for the dining car.

[Colm Moore]

Oh, my sandwich, that I had left on the table before departure has been returned to me.

Lots of vibration and some wobble since Rathpeacon.

Longitudinal lurching added from Kilmona.

[Colm Moore]

Trolley has arrived already and the train host has been seen for the second time - not hiding in first class.

We've just passed the recent bridge works at Mallow-Buttevent. The rail is perfect across the bridge, but noise and vibration either side.

[Colm Moore]

Third visit by train host. There is a nice enough piece of track at Knocklong, but it can't be said to be ideal. A bit rough a while after though.

As we are in the Limerick Junction signalling no man's land, we're not showing on the animated live map here: http://new.irishrail.ie/index.jsp?p=119&n=157 but we are here: http://irishrail.ie/your_journey/results.asp and here: http://irishrail.on.icomera.com/finished.html (link may not work).

A fair few people boarding at LJ. A fairly empty train at Cork is now starting to be fairly full. A bit of a gale blowing though the carriage as they haven't fixed the intermediate doors yet.

[Colm Moore]

Just past Thurles. Realtime claiming we had arrived before we actually had, as it only takes the signal into account. train host and cleaner have been by.

The automated announcement have been getting a bit annoying, but luckily, that was our last stop.