Intercity journey experiences

[Mark Gleeson]

There is a luggage rack at the end of each coach, its generous in size

[netlordr23]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

There is a luggage rack at the end of each coach, its generous in size

Ok, thanks.
One can sit wherever one wants in standard class, right? Even if the ticket is numbered.

[Mark Gleeson]

If you have a reservation you should sit in the seat and coach as indicated

Reservations are in coaches A and C

[netlordr23]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

If you have a reservation you should sit in the seat and coach as indicated

Reservations are in coaches A and C

My reservation just says seat A1 in Std. So that would mean coach A, isn't it?

[Mark Gleeson]

Seat 1 in coach A

Its highly unlikely the seat will be marked reserved so you can move to another if you wish, of course not knowing if its been reserved by someone else

The online booking system gives a graphic of the train allowing manual selection of the coach and of your seat on board, telesales seem to randomly allocate your seat

[brianw82]

I'd just like to say that I had a very nice journey on the 9am Sligo - Connolly. Got on at Collooney, one of the new 6-car trains. I worked on my laptop and charged my mobile on the way. Love being able to do that! Only noticable delay was at Mullingar, but it was only 5 minutes. I think it was a wheelchair user getting on. Still pulled in to Maynooth (my stop) on time.

Ticket inspector was one of the guys from Sligo, nice guy, been on the train for 5 years or so, never had a problem with him or seen him having a problem with anyone.

Trolley was in the back section of the train for the first part of the trip (I was in the first carriage), and was very slow in working its way up to the front. I believe it switches to the front section after Longford, but a LOT of people got on after Longford, most likely due to the 10e return offer for July. This was probably why it was so slow. I didn't want to get anything anyway, so I didn't mind.

The moral of the story is, it's a helluva lot better getting the Sligo - Dublin train now than it was when I was colleging it up in Maynooth from '01 to '05. (still remember being told to "pile on there, lads!" getting the Friday evening train back, when there was NO room to do so!)
It is possible to have a nice journey with Iarnród Eireann.

[Donal Quinn]

another twist in the seat reservations tale

went to athenry and back last weekend

new train on the way down - seats not marked - ahh well. i was there early so sat in them - grand

on the way back up, cu na mara type train (18:28 from athenry to heuston) the A carriage was at the front of the train - hopped in - seats not marked - ahh well, sat near enough

it would normally end there but i was thirsty so i went to the dining car which was the next one down. shop was closed. saw someone with coffee and asked them where they got it - they pointed down the back of the train. i walked all the way down and sure enough there was a second dining car. i had to walk to the end to queue and i saw that there was another carriage beyond it - sure enough that was also marked A and when i went in there were my seats marked with my name and everything! needless to say there was people sitting in them regardless! - i didn't bother moving

so the moral is that if your seats aren't marked in the first A carriage, check the other one!!

[sean]

[KSW]

Reading this thread I decided to post my InterCity(Commuter) experience on the Dublin/Rosslare route as far as Gorey.

I took the 11:35 service to Gorey it was the usual 2800 commuter set. We departed Connolly station at 11:35. The train went the right speed limit right through to Grand Canal Dock, I thought after the inner city speed limits the train would have reached a higher speed to Dun Laoghaire. The train stood just after Sydney Parade for about 5mins. I noticed a DART train had left Connolly at 11:09 the next service was the 11:35 to Gorey followed by a 11:39 DART service. I would have thought that the 11:35 service would travel at a faster pace to DunLaoghaire/Bray. This service is I believe always like this it crawls to Bray. We arrived in Bray at 12:11 waited 5mins then departed again. We arrived in Greystones at 12:26 followed by Kilcoole 12:32 then Wicklow 12:42. We arrived in Rathdrum 12:59(17mins) But after Rathdrum it took just 15mins to Arklow 13:14 just one minute late. From Arklow to Gorey the signal was green and the train departed, Arrived in Gorey at 13:25( 2minutes early arrival and 10mins journey time )

The question I want to ask is way do all Gorey/Rosslare trains have so much padding on the timetable affecting journey times. We could have arrived into Gorey at 13:15 even 13:10.

I think Irish Rail are going to seriously feduce the amount of padding on all its South-Eastern services.

Dublin Connolly

Bray

06/12

11:09

11:52

0

DART

Dublin Connolly

Bray

06/12

11:35

12:16

0

Railcar

[Thomas Ralph]

Remember that it's single-tracked; the trains have to be synchronized in order to pass each other.

[wobbles]

First post
I have to agree with KSW. 15 to 20 min could easily be knocked off the times of Rosslare services. The 11.35 always seems to be waiting around stations ahead of time. The 0600 train from Gorey is another one for waiting around. I have been on this service when it was almost 20min late and still got to Tara St on time.

Slightly off topic but do staff get training on how to use the PA? Today it was more like grunt than an announcment.

[Mark Hennessy]

Originally Posted by wobbles

Slightly off topic but do staff get training on how to use the PA? Today it was more like grunt than an announcment.

I get surprised when the driver makes a clear audible announcement!

It can be done, but why only a very few drivers?

Welcome to the forum by the way.

[wobbles]

Thank you Mark.

There seems to be no standards when it comes to the PA. Im sure it would not take long to train the drivers how to use it correctly.

[KSW]

I have to say I am cleary a fan of the new 22k trains. Yesterday at Heuston Station I seen these new 22k trains at every platfrom the mk III sets from what I seen yesterday are cleary gone. Travelling from Dublin to Galway on these new trains I have to say I am very happy about them going on the Rosslare line. The train departed Galway at 15:05 and arrived in Heuston at 17:35 The train was going fast the entire journey which helps..

[PLUMB LOCO]

Originally Posted by KSW

I have to say I am cleary a fan of the new 22k trains. Yesterday at Heuston Station I seen these new 22k trains at every platfrom the mk III sets from what I seen yesterday are cleary gone. Travelling from Dublin to Galway on these new trains I have to say I am very happy about them going on the Rosslare line. The train departed Galway at 15:05 and arrived in Heuston at 17:35 The train was going fast the entire journey which helps..

I am afraid that I am not particularly happy to see the imminent (?) arrival of the 22ks on the Rosslare line - granted they will be better than the present collection of awful Commuter railcars on the route - they will be grossly inferior to the MkIIs as originally supplied. No 1st class, no dining car, no Fastrack, little space for bicyles, excessive lighting and I am reliably informed that Rosslare services may be operated by 3-piece sets. Can this latter point be correct?

Several hundreds of million spent on the route and the standard of service is going to be inferior to that provided in the 1980's - where is the sense in that or indeed value for money?

[wobbles]

Originally Posted by PLUMB LOCO

I am afraid that I am not particularly happy to see the imminent (?) arrival of the 22ks on the Rosslare line - granted they will be better than the present collection of awful Commuter railcars on the route - they will be grossly inferior to the MkIIs as originally supplied. No 1st class, no dining car, no Fastrack, little space for bicyles, excessive lighting and I am reliably informed that Rosslare services may be operated by 3-piece sets. Can this latter point be correct?

Several hundreds of million spent on the route and the standard of service is going to be inferior to that provided in the 1980's - where is the sense in that or indeed value for money?

I do agree that the 22K will be a step up from the current 28K trains.
Just a few points.

First class facilities were never available on the MK2 trains on the Rosslare line.

There is indeed Fastrack facilities (ie a cupboard). This is in use on the Sligo 22K for Fastrack.

New bicyle racks are being fitted (at the expence of seats).

Rosslare services will be operated by just 3 coach 22K sets. Main issue is the length of most platforms on the route. The present six coach 28K is the longest trains that can be used at present.

If 3 coach trains are the best we can hope for then the number of services need to be increased however in the current climate I doubt this will happen.

[Mark Hennessy]

Originally Posted by PLUMB LOCO

Several hundreds of million spent on the route and the standard of service is going to be inferior to that provided in the 1980's - where is the sense in that or indeed value for money?

The same could be said for a lot of the rail network.

Billions on new track and trains yet journey times have decreased and customer service is poor on the whole.

[sublimity]

Originally Posted by wobbles

Rosslare services will be operated by just 3 coach 22K sets. Main issue is the length of most platforms on the route. The present six coach 28K is the longest trains that can be used at present.

.

As already discussed, this can be overcome with selective door openings on 22ks. So 2x3 coach is feasible.

What about the mk2s that used to be on this line? they seemed longer (071 engine + generator van + 6 coaches)

I really don't think a 6 coach 22k should cause any problems.
In my opinion IE should have ordered 6 coach sets only.
I do not like the idea of trains becoming shorter for Intercity routes.

[wobbles]

Originally Posted by sublimity

As already discussed, this can be overcome with selective door openings on 22ks. So 2x3 coach is feasible.

What about the mk2s that used to be on this line? they seemed longer (071 engine + generator van + 6 coaches)

I really don't think a 6 coach 22k should cause any problems.
In my opinion IE should have ordered 6 coach sets only.
I do not like the idea of trains becoming shorter for Intercity routes.

Main problem is the 22K are not fitted with selective door opening. The MK2 did indeed operate in longer formation. Now Health and Safety have put paid to that.

[Mark Gleeson]

There will be 6 coach 22k services to Rosslare. Only one station is a problem, Rathdrum and as it stands it means only 1 door will be unusable.

Three options exist
1. Old fashioned public address warning
2. Get the ticket checker to use his/her key to set the door to out of service when the train leaves Wicklow or Rathdrum
3. Use the train computer to provide selective door opening, the computer certainly shows the state of every door in the train, I've had a play around with it

They will have 370-380 seats a train which is about 20 more than the Mk2 sets of old, plus it can carry 4 wheelchairs and 4 bikes. The CIE Mk2d must go down in history as one of the most horrible passenger coaches ever to grace these Islands

Curiously enough the Rosslare line has shown the greatest reduction in journey times of any route when you compare 1974 against today