Sail & Rail

[Jamie2k9]

17.55 Rosslare to Connolly moves to 19.15 departure from 4 June to allow ferry connections.

[Mark Gleeson]

Only took 3 years...

This is very much a summer trial, we were asked by Irish Rail about possible changes at the start of the year.

Rule one was no extra trains.

Downside is now an 6+ hour gap in service in the afternoon which isn't great, there is no real way around this unless you want to run more trains and also move the current 16:36 from Dublin back to 15:36 to Wexford and run the 17:36 to Rosslare

[Jamie2k9]

Its only in booking system until 31 August, while on Sundays it departs at 19.00 and operates to Bray, then by DART.

[Inniskeen]

What a mess !

Not much notice for existing passengers who might have organised themselves around the current timetable.

I presume the Sunday service is an extra service ? - surely there is a through service on Sunday evening from Wexford.

[ACustomer]

Inniskeen: the journey planner shows no though service on Sundays after about 2pm, just the 1915 with a change at Bray. Absolutely incredible and guaranteed to lose custom (assuming that they haven't made some sort of silly mistake in the timetable - you never know).

[Inniskeen]

The Sunday arrangement guarantees a miserable experience for passengers and no doubt plenty of confusion, annoyance and bad publicity in Bray. I would imagine the Dublin bound Sunday Rosslare/Wexford service still loads a few hundred passengers, cerainly enough to fill a four-car Japanese DART.

This is a daft arrangement and should be stamped on by the NTA, particularly the Sunday arrangement.

If I am not mistaken there is an empty train from Wexford to Connolly every evening, Monday to Friday. Could this not run to Rosslare instead and let the 1637 from Connolly return as the "boat train", running in a later path.

A 1637 to Rosslare on Summer Saturdays could enhance the existing skeletal service on the line and might well generate sufficient business to justify running all year.

[Mark Gleeson]

We have discussed this at length with Irish Rail and basically any change has to be at no cost, no extra trains

The issue with the 19:00 appears to be a data entry error in the timetable and we are awaiting update from IE

UK side are not aware of these changes so through booking not available currently, I have already been in contact with Arriva Trains Wales and they are now taking action however it could take some time to get things setup due the nature of the UK rail industry.

[Jamie2k9]

Appears the DART change was an error, journey planner now direct.

http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4835&p=116&n=237

Changes to departure times on some Rosslare line services


29 May 2013

Service Alterations on the Rosslare line for The Gathering

Iarnród Éireann will have amended service times on the Rosslare line from 4th June 2013 until 2nd September 2013 to provide greater connectivity for those returning to Ireland by ferry for the Gathering through Rosslare Europort.


- The 17:55 Rosslare Europort to Connolly will be deferred until 19:15 Monday to Saturday.

- The 17:36 Connolly to Wexford service will depart at usual time but there will be an extended journey time between Enniscorthy and Wexford with an arrival time of 20:25 into Wexford Monday to Friday.

- On Sundays the 17.40 Rosslare Europort to Connolly will be deferred to 19:00.

[comcor]

That's a massive improvement

Having arrived into Rosslare just after 6pm before, it was a painful experience to find no trains and the only bus option involving a change in Enniscorthy

[Inniskeen]

Or just not mentioned in the hastily prepared notice on the website.

Terminating the Sunday evening service from Rossare at Bray and returning empty would save an empty working from Dublin on Monday mornings ?

Is that the angle perhaps ?

[Inniskeen]

Originally Posted by comcor

That's a massive improvement

Having arrived into Rosslare just after 6pm before, it was a painful experience to find no trains and the only bus option involving a change in Enniscorthy

It may well be an improvement but making such a significant change at a few days notice just isn't acceptable. Remember all the angst when the evening service to Nenagh was advanced to 1705 last year.

[Mark Gleeson]

The 19:00 on Sunday runs through to Connolly, there was a data entry error, if you enter Dun Laoghaire it got that far it was just the city centre end was missing.

Arriva Trains Wales found out about the change at 7am this morning thanks to an email RUI sent, the manager there has always been extremely helpful.

We have met with Stena Line management as well, again very helpful, note foot passengers now carried on Stena Nordica and slight timetable changes to HSS timetable.

[Eddie]

Really pleased to hear of one more sensible rail connection to / from Rosslare, albeit at short notice. It must have been pretty difficult for Stena and Aviva to market their Sail & Rail option without their daytime sailing connecting with a train this side of the water too. In time I'd like to see a train to Rosslare meeting the morning departure too, but let's see how this one fares for now. I imagine it'll take a bit of time to build up awareness; hopefully there'll be enough new traffic to sustain it beyond September.

Incidentally Mark, if you're talking to Stena, you might want to point out to them that their Sail and Rail Timetable on their website hasn't been altered to reflect the change to the HSS sailing that has been in place since February. And no timetable connections have been added to reflect the Nordica is now taking footpassengers.

[Mark Gleeson]

Both HSS and Nordica are bookable through the UK rail booking system currently.

[Traincustomer]

Meant to say compliments to RUI for its work in helping to improve the interface between ferry and rail.

[Colm Moore]

A note has been added to the timetable page today and a PDF of the revised timetable added.

http://www.irishrail.ie/timetables

New Dublin-Rosslare Europort Timetable 4th June Onwards

[Mark Gleeson]

As of today Sail Rail booking via Rosslare has been restored from the UK side

Big thanks to our friends in Arriva Trains Wales who sorted this out at short notice

[Thomas Ralph]

It sure is. Can be booked online via www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk (if it's having a good day), www.raileasy.com (booking fee applies), at most staffed stations, or over the phone from most TOCs.

[Inniskeen]

Any feedback on the usage of the re-scheduled Rosslare to Dublin evening services ?

[Eddie]

Originally Posted by Eddie

Incidentally Mark, if you're talking to Stena, you might want to point out to them that their Sail and Rail Timetable on their website hasn't been altered to reflect the change to the HSS sailing that has been in place since February. And no timetable connections have been added to reflect the Nordica is now taking footpassengers.

HSS timings amended, but Nordica connections not added.