What is going on on the northern line?

[tigger1962]

even with leaving 5 minutes earlier the 6.30 Dundalk to Bray has not once made Pearse at its scheduled time, in fact for the last week is up to 20minutes delayed, even today with the weather improving! before xmas it managed to be at Connolly on time but couldn't reach Pearse before 8.07 monday to friday and recently it seems to be stuck at clontarf road and doesn't reach Connolly until between 8.00-8.07 then spends up to 5 minutes between Connolly and Tara St

I could blame weather and ice but this morning didn't look that bad?? Anyone know why?

[Mark Gleeson]

Where does the delay start

It should leave Malahide at 7:34

The 6:30 in turn delays the 7:37 Malahide - Dun Laoghaire which delays the 8:37 Dun Laoghaire Connolly (and leaves me standing and late)

[tigger1962]

Before Xmas the delay was always at connolly. Since Xmas between howth jct and Connolly. Arrives at howth jct on time but then crawls to connolly, stopping at clontarf rd for between 3-5 minutes.

[Locky]

Since the timetable has changed we haven't arrived on any service I have been on (Mon-Fri). This service is also randomly making stops at Howth Junction when it's not timetabled to do so!

[tigger1962]

The 06.30 is not timetabled to stop in printed one but is on the online timetable!!
This morning it was 3 mins late at Connolly and stopped again between Connolly and tara st presumably because of another train in front?

[Mark Gleeson]

Last week 6:30 Dundalk Bray

Arriving Connolly
+------------+--------+------+------------+-----------+-------+
| date | origin | dest | timetabled | actual | delay |
+------------+--------+------+------------+-----------+-------+
| 2010-01-04 | DDALK | BRAY | 07:57:00 | 08:03:30 | 390 |
| 2010-01-05 | DDALK | BRAY | 07:57:00 | 08:03:54 | 414 |
| 2010-01-06 | DDALK | BRAY | 07:57:00 | 08:01:42 | 282 |
| 2010-01-07 | DDALK | BRAY | 07:57:00 | 08:08:18 | 678 |
| 2010-01-08 | DDALK | BRAY | 07:57:00 | 08:01:54 | 294 |
| 2010-01-11 | DDALK | BRAY | 07:57:00 | 08:09:06 | 726 |
| 2010-01-12 | DDALK | BRAY | 07:57:00 | 07:58:54 | 114 |
+------------+--------+------+------------+----------+-------+



Arriving Bray
+------------+--------+------+------------+-----------+-------+
| date | origin | dest | timetabled | estimated | delay |
+------------+--------+------+------------+-----------+-------+
| 2010-01-04 | DDALK | BRAY | 08:44:00 | 08:46:00 | 120 |
| 2010-01-05 | DDALK | BRAY | 08:44:00 | 08:52:00 | 480 |
| 2010-01-06 | DDALK | BRAY | 08:44:00 | 08:49:00 | 300 |
| 2010-01-07 | DDALK | BRAY | 08:44:00 | 09:02:00 | 1080 |
| 2010-01-08 | DDALK | BRAY | 08:44:00 | 09:10:00 | 1560 |
| 2010-01-11 | DDALK | BRAY | 08:44:00 | 08:59:00 | 1140 |
| 2010-01-12 | DDALK | BRAY | 08:44:00 | 08:47:00 | 300 |
+------------+--------+------+------------+-----------+-------+

[Colm Moore]

What does "delay" represent? It seems to be inconsistant.

[Mark Gleeson]

Revised the numbers, some stations have exact arrival times, some don't, different database query.

Delay is the number of seconds over the published time a train was arriving at the named point. It underestimates by about 30 seconds.

[tigger1962]

I was on the train most of those days including this morning and today the train arrived at 08.01 at connolly - based on ntp... left dundalk on time... I have been recording via gps the times as well...

where did you get those times from? is this the same location that told me that the enterprise was passing harmonstown only to find that it was still in drogheda one day?

[Mark Gleeson]

How we get the numbers is secret, but they are accurate and live, if the 6:30 decided to terminate in Dun Laoghaire we would know

Its the best we have

[tigger1962]

Fair enough.. I'm using the bus next week to do a comparison. If the service is better I'll be defecting.. unfortunately not till july... I find it awful that the train leaves 5 minutes earlier but 90% of the time is later, and most of the time I can walk to pearse faster than the train!!

[Mark Gleeson]

If the 6:30 uses platform 5 in Connolly the captured time is well off, by more than a minute. We just don't have the R&D resources to get a perfect solution.

Though since we started the numbers IE have published has fallen to levels similar to what we have, hmm

Beware the bus annual ticket doesn't offer the save level of discount as the train ticket so pricing is very similar

[Padna]

I was on the 0630 from Dundalk myself this morning. Think it arrived at Platform 5 in Connolly between 0801 and 0802 today. It stopped for a few minutes just north of Clontarf Road station.

Is there another train that arrives in Connolly just before it which is holding it back?

I reckon you're better off getting off in Connolly and grabbing one of the Dublin Bikes rather than staying on the train until Pearse!

[Thomas Ralph]

The Dublin bike rack at Talbot Street always seems to be empty in the morning and full in the evening :/

[tigger1962]

As a test I took the bus for a week! based on that week, I'll be switching to the bus for my morning journeys come july! Even Bus Eireann was quicker than Irish Rail, ok not as many stops but still managed to beat the arrival time in dublin on the 3 days I took their service... Matthews service was nice too especially with the free wifi onboard. now I need to work out the taxsaver angle!