Short trains and no facilities

[Edward Ryan]

I would like to tell everyone of my journey from hell from Gorey to Dublin and back again last Thursday (26/July).

My wife had gone to my daughters house in Navan for a few days to see our first grandchild. Work commitments stopped me from going. However I was off work the day my wife was due home so we arranged to meet in Dublin and travel home together.

I arrived at Goery station in plenty of time for the 0850 train and purchased my ticket (day return EUR14.50). The train arrived on time but to my supprise it was only 4 carrages long. Around 50 people boarded at Gorey and most of them had to stand(I was one of them). Another large crowd boarded at Arklow and even standing space became scarce. I was surrounded by people their baggage their buggies and the tea man with his refreshment cart even he was pinned in by the crowd.To my joy the train arrived at Amians St on time and was glad to get off that "cattle wagon".

I met my wife at the bus station and returned to the station for the 11.35 train home to Gorey. Up on platform5 my wife asked where the toilets were to be told that they were back down in the main station building. As it was now 11.20 my wife opted to wait and use the toilets on the train.
11.35 passed and no sign of the train. On asking a staff member he told me the train was having technical difficulties. No P.A. message was made to advise passangers. The train actually left Amians St at 11.50 and my wife went in search of the toilet.

She returned to tell me that both toilets were out of order. I eventually tracked down the ticket conductor at one of the toilets and told him of the problem. He was aware of the problem and told me he was trying to fix them. I returned to my seat and by this stage my wife was in discomfort. The conductor the made a P.A. message telling all passangers that all the toilets were out of order and the he had arranged a toilet stop at Wicklow station.
I went to the conductor again and told him that my wife could not wait for Wicklow. He opened up one of the toilets for her which smelled and had no running water although my wife did not mind at this stage. At Wicklow i noted over 20 people making use of the station rest rooms.

Iarnrod Eireann should be asshamed to be providing such a shambles of a service to its Rosslare route passangers.However i must say the staff member on the 11.35 train was helpfull and kept passangers informed. Next time however I shall use my car.

Ed

[Edward Ryan]

I caught the 1732 from Pearse to Gorey last night. Once again it was only 4 carrages long and sailed passed most of us waiting and stopped down at the very end of the platform. Why?. After dashing down the platform I managed to squeeze into a very crowded carrage.
To my horror no air conditioning was working and many people looked like they were about to pass out. To my releif a large crowd got out at Bray but an equally lage crowd boarded the train there. I made a complaint to the conductor about the small train on such a busy service and the lack of airconditioning. He appologised and said it was due to a carrage shortage . He said he would try to fix the air con but it never came on. can anyone tell me the reason there is a carrage shortage?

Ed

[Mark Gleeson]

Standard operating practice is to pull up to the end of the platform as the CCTV display is there and it avoids possible incidents where the driver stops short with a long train, which has happened in Pearse before. Thats a safety thing

There is a shortage of rolling stock, IE have denied it but there is hard proof http://forum.platform11.org/showthread.php?t=2299

Its about 8-12 coaches in total short to ensure all trains are the required length everyday, the trains are not at fault they are putting in well more miles per week than ever planned and the distance between failures is several times better than equivalent trains in the UK, there is zero maintenance cover and we know a train did break down on Thursday morning. Its going to be at least October before things improve

The latest on the air conditioning problem is that its not broken its just not switched on. Best guess at a solution is for the driver (only the driver can) turn the AC off then turn it back on again. James tried this in Drogheda during the week and AC started to work

[Morgase]

Ed,

I have noticed the same thing myself recently as I get that train every evening on my commute. It seems to be luck of the draw whether it is a short train or a long train.

It normally empties out by Bray or Greystones. A pity that passengers heading for Dun Laoghaire, Bray and Greystones could not somehow be prevented from boarding the commuter train so that it could be used only by commuters going to Kilcoole or onwards! Impossible to achieve in practise I am sure, especially given the frequency of services to Greystones.

[Edward Ryan]

I say it would be impossible to stop Bray and Greystones passangers using it. Many are attracted to the service due to its limited stops even though its no quicker than an all stop DART. Another point could IE staff not announce at stations how many carrages are on the train ? Even that would be a help.

[KSW]

I have noticed that the 11.35 13.35 17.25 Dublin Rosslare/Gorey services are 4 carriages long and i've seen the 6car 2800 class being used on different lines now. Im sorry but i hated the 2800 trains. The 29000 are alot more up-to-date but its a pitty that it cant be longer. The 29000 have a much better engine performance that the 2800's.

[Edward Ryan]

I am not really up on the numbers of the trains but I know which ones you are talking about. I have had too many bad journeys on the newer 4 carrage trains. Toilet failures are common and as for the air conditioning or should I say lack of air conditioning. For a newish type they are very poor and the ride quality is very poor.

The older 6 carrage train seem to be the better of the two types. The ride quality is better. They are better ventilated and the toilets seem to work properly. The seats aint very comfortable though. Anyhow that is my opinion on the current trains.

Ed

[Edward Ryan]

The train is back to a 4 carrage train again this evening. I managed to get a seat after Wicklow.

[KSW]

On a Thrusday its usually a Friday for the 4 car set. I think they should swap the Rosslare service 6 set train with the 4 set Gorey. We'll see tomorrow's service type train

[Mark Gleeson]

Its 4 on Fridays even in the cravens days it was 4 coaches

Today is a result of the serious breakdown yesterday morning

[Edward Ryan]

According to yesterdays evening Hearld the train failed in Dunlaoghaire the evening before and took 12 hours to move.

EVENING HERALD 31st OCTOBER
Thousands of early morning commuters were hit with hour-long delays on their way into work after a faulty commuter train caused the suspension of the Dart service in both directions.
Rail chiefs had to stop all services running between Blackrock and Bray from 6am today on both sides of the tracks because a train had broken down at Dun Laoighre station LAST NIGHT.
The 6.45am service from Gorey to Dublin was also cancelled as a result of the disruption.
Thousands of workers were hit with lenghty delays as they tried to make their way into the city centre while Iarnrod Eireann worked to resolve the issue.
Spokesman Barry Kenny said commuters were able to use their tickets on buses. "Dublin Bus is accepting all rail tickets and we hope to solve the situation shortly but obviously we can't specify an exact time" he said earlier today.
"We discovered a fault on a commuter train late LAST NIGHT and that's what caused the problem and we would like to apologise to anyone affected

[Mark Gleeson]

I'd doubt the Herald has it right

It sounds way more like 2 trains failed in Dun Laoghaire and both where the same type, in fact probably the same train failed twice, net result is the same

The 6:00 ex Gorey ran but the 6:45 didn't, 6:00 had to run empty through Dun Laoaghaire that morning as normal

[KSW]

Doesnt make sense to me its seems-Why didnt Iarnrod Eireann send in a loco either the 201 class or the 071 go to Dun Laoghaire and hook up with the Commuter train and bring it back to CONNOLLY.... What about the other platform at Dun Laoghaire?

[Mark Gleeson]

If the train suffered a final drive gearbox failure, it would have effectively two seized axles, one you can deal with two you can't. You can't tow in that condition

If the train was in the citybound platform its exceptionally difficult to get trains around it

The failed train was subsequently dumped in the 3rd platform in Dun Loaghair