Nenagh-Dublin service axing

[Destructix]

Tipperary Star

THE Junior Minister for Public Transport, Alan Kelly, is to meet Irish Rail executives this week to discuss ways to improve passenger numbers on the Nenagh to Ballybrophy line. The train company proposes to cut some services under its new timetable, and commuters can submit their views on the planned changes to the company over the coming weeks.

Deputy Kelly had announced a new early morning direct service to Dublin earlier this year, but at the time, both he and Nenagh Rail Partnership warned that it would be a case of “use it or lose it”. The service has failed to attract enough passengers to keep it running.

“The new services in Nenagh and Roscrea, which were the first for over 20 years, have not attracted sufficient passengers. I stated publicly at the time of the service that it was a case of ‘use it or lose it.

“However I will be meeting with Irish Rail this week with a view to working up a plan to increase passenger usage on the line. I would call upon members of the public directly affected to feed back into Irish Rail’s to contact them as part of consultation process,” said Deputy Kelly.

The Labour Junior Minister for North Tipperary and South Offaly stated that there were rail cuts all over the country in Dublin, Cork and Limerick because of a financial crisis in Irish Rail.

“These cuts have been minimised in all Tipperary stations. The withdrawals are focused on services not well used and many of them are sensible and reasonable in the current economic environment – the situation we were left in by Fianna Fail,” he said.

While Nenagh Rail Partnership said it regretted the withdrawal of the early morning direct commuter service, it did not attract viable passenger numbers.

However, a spokesperson said: “We believe it could have operated successfully if it had been better timetabled and properly promoted. We expressed our concerns on both matters to Irish Rail in advance but we were ignored.

“We also pointed out at the planning stage that the proposed timetable was both unworkable and unattractivee.”

The spokesperson said the partnership welcomed the planned improvements to the most popular train services on the line from January. Journeys to and from Dublin will be 18 to 20 minutes faster in some cases.

Meanwhile, Deputy Kelly said that Templemore will “continue to have an excellent rail service with over 13 trains stopping in the station from both directions.

“I have consulted with Templemore Rail Users Group and those commuting to Dublin will have some improved journey times now. I welcome this.

“Templemore will remain well served for a rural town. Two services 20 minutes apart in the early morning will be merged and two services leaving Dublin one hour apart will be merged. There is one other withdrawal of an off-peak service.

“In the very difficult climate, this is sensible and reasonable but still keeps Templemore extremely well served by rail.”

Just as Mark said in another thread they are blaming advertisement and times of the service.

[Mark Gleeson]

Welcome to Irish politics, a rather suspect approval by the NTA where FOI records prove no detailed business case and no records which predate an email from RUI asking what was going on. The truth will never come out unless people are dragged in to give evidence under oath.

Either classic political pressure or an beautifully executed black op by Irish Rail managers to teach some politicians a lesson after being shafted by the last crowd and the WRC.

I don't think anyone in north Tipp hadn't heard about it

And the times offered were about as good as could ever be offered.

9.99 Nenagh Dublin was the cheapest possible fare, Thurles, Templemore and Ballybrophy all pay more.

[Jamie2k9]

Alan Kelly needs to meet with people alright but its not Irish Rail..if I post what I want to say I could be in trouble!

Mark what are the chances of "rather suspect approval by the NTA" happening again?

[Mark Gleeson]

I very much doubt it will happen again as the NTA got caught out and anyone reading between the lines has already formed an opinion as to what is going on.

[laoisfan]

As I've said on another thread ( and other posters have too ) perhaps Irish Rail should consider reversing this i.e. Ballybrophy -> Limerick via Roscrea, Cloughjordan, Nenagh, Birdhill, Castleconnell. even just for a trial period, see what the demand is.

[Jamie2k9]

Birdhill, Castleconnell. even just for a trial period, see what the demand is.

Wouldn't suit the Nenagh Rail Partnership. They want Dublin and people along the line don't want a Dublin service. Would like to know if any of the Nenagh Rail Partnership group used the service for a real reason and not just counting the 4 or so people onboard.

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

Wouldn't suit the Nenagh Rail Partnership. They want Dublin and people along the line don't want a Dublin service. Would like to know if any of the Nenagh Rail Partnership group used the service for a real reason and not just counting the 4 or so people onboard.

it actually doesnt suit IE for rota/industrial relations reasons. the trains are all limerick based, you would have to get a train to work its way to BB at an insanely early hour of the morning so it can start off at about 6-630 from BB to get people into Limerick for a proper time.

if you are going to use Laois Train Depot trains it means a 22k and they will mash the track from BB to Nenagh into the ground fairly sharpish if running four times a day on it.

[Jamie2k9]

it actually doesnt suit IE for rota/industrial relations reasons. the trains are all limerick based, you would have to get a train to work its way to BB at an insanely early hour of the morning so it can start off at about 6-630 from BB to get people into Limerick for a proper time.

if you are going to use Laois Train Depot trains it means a 22k and they will mash the track from BB to Nenagh into the ground fairly sharpish if running four times a day on it.

Weather of not it suits IE the NRP want a Dublin service and I can't see them settling for anything else. BTW 22k on all services would be a blessing.

[Mark Gleeson]

In theory you can start/end everything at the depot in Portlaoise

The problem is the conflict between Nenagh Dublin and Nenagh Limerick which results due a lack of a second usable platform at any station enroute

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

Weather of not it suits IE the NRP want a Dublin service and I can't see them settling for anything else. BTW 22k on all services would be a blessing.

actually, that is not correct. the people from NRP i met are perfectly happy with a shuttle service working the branch that connects with dublin services at ballybrophy.

22k on all nenagh services would not be a blessing, as i stated above, they would wreck it.

NRP chap suggested to me that you close the line for a time to get it to scratch and then put them on. fair enough, but if they close the line for any reason, they will simply not re-open it.

[Jamie2k9]

So why have IE spend 130,000 on the "direct" service to Dublin. Who wanted it and would they of agreeded to a shuttle back then?

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

So why have IE spend 130,000 on the "direct" service to Dublin. Who wanted it and would they of agreeded to a shuttle back then?

well, depends on who you care to belive.

was it alan kelly pulling a stroke for his base in nenagh? was it irish rail pulling a stroke on kelly?

will we ever know, but it was one of them.