2009 Timetables??

[cullenswood]

Are there any rumours/news on any changes to the Longford rail timetable? Any later trains travelling to Enfield from Connolly, or more of the trains actually stopping in Enfield?

Would it not make sense to open the platform on the far side of the Enfield station and allow trains to stop there while waiting for a train on the opposite direction to pass. This would allow more trains to pick up passengers in Enfield without altering timetables.

[Mark Gleeson]

Far as we understand no extra trains, high risk of less trains at off peak times.

They might move to eliminate some of the empty trains, which would result in a extra Longford Dublin morning service, basically running in place of the Enfield train. While logical, better for the public and cheaper, this is Irish Rail so they probably won't do it

Lots of talk of something radical within Dublin, but no consultation

[cullenswood]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Lots of talk of something radical within Dublin, but no consultation

Thanks Mark

Something radical within Dublin, does this mean Enfield getting left behind. Surely they should notice that large numbers using the Enfield train as a commuter service?

[Mark Gleeson]

At 27 miles out Enfield is not considered a commuter station. You will never have a train every 10 minutes as you get when you are within 15 miles of the city. You will be lucky to get a service every 30 minutes and thats the limit and that depends on both the second platform and double track out to Mullingar to happen.

The name of game is to carry the most number of people, further out you go it costs more to provide the service and it provides less and less benefits. In comparison, Wicklow is the same distance, out has 4 times the population and only 2 morning services (vs 3) and 3 in the evening 3 vs 4 so Enfield is doing very well

The DTO is currently trying to figure out how to make the city work and long distance commuting is a big problem since its really hard to address with public transport

Anything radical will effect DART and Maynooth line only, in reality its nothing special just providing a consistent service level and clockface timetables, really restoring the service to what it always should have been in the first place.

[Mark Hennessy]

At 27 miles out Enfield is not considered a commuter station. You will never have a train every 10 minutes as you get when you are within 15 miles of the city. You will be lucky to get a service every 30 minutes and thats the limit and that depends on both the second platform and double track out to Mullingar to happen.

Do Irish Rail really consider 27 miles to be Inter-City?

Its crazy that current services to places like that could be cut considering how a lot of people were forced to move away from the city by insanely high house prices.

[Mark Gleeson]

Cuts more likely between Maynooth and Dublin, than further afield. Anything beyond Maynooth is considered intercity

Just to get a second platform in Enfield could cost 4 million since it must then get an accessible footbridge and other trimmings.

Enfield will only ever get a basic service, that said a basic service means a train after 9pm which few if any routes enjoy

The professional planning view is such long distance commuting is unsustainable. Everyone is entitled to a basic service, 3 trains in before 9am tends to satisfy that requirement. But the super high density train every 7.5 minutes is reserved for serious demand locations

[cullenswood]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Cuts more likely between Maynooth and Dublin, than further afield. Anything beyond Maynooth is considered intercity

Just to get a second platform in Enfield could cost 4 million since it must then get an accessible footbridge and other trimmings.

Enfield will only ever get a basic service, that said a basic service means a train after 9pm which few if any routes enjoy

Does that mean there is a service after 9pm planned? That would be a welcome addition

4 million for a footbridge....I'll do one for half that

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by cullenswood

Does that mean there is a service after 9pm planned? That would be a welcome addition

4 million for a footbridge....I'll do one for half that

Within building regulations and various other guidelines, problem is its an entire package, any upgrade requires the full implementation of upgrade. Back in the old days the second platform would get a coat of tarmac and off we go

Politcos in Longford sunk the later train, it required the 18:05 to Longford to terminate in Mullingar return to Dublin and run back out to Mullingat. Parish pump politics once again sink sensible solutions to real problems

[ThomasJ]

I'm not sure Mark, the only service I can see being cut is the 19:29hrs

Every other services seem to doing well in terms of passenger numbers, better than other lines. Talking to a member of IE staff recently and they said as far as they are aware there are no plans of cuts to evening maynooth services would be a mistake given current passenger levels on off-peak services.

given that the Maynooth line has minimum requirements ie. 2 4 coach trains covering the evening peak, one driver per train, no ticket office staff etc. I cant see this happening.

[Mark Gleeson]

There are continued rumors of service reductions of off peak services. Irish Rail are facing serious financial challenges

We have all noted the massive reduction in the opening hours of booking offices across Dublin

16:00 Dublin Sligo on Sat/Sun would be at risk

[Mickey H]

General question about the 2009 timetable: Will it start December 14th or later as was rumoured on another forum?

Apparently translink are being forced to make cuts to service due to budget cuts and I heard a rumour that 0650 Belfast-Dublin and 2045 Dublin-Belfast might be axed

[Thomas Ralph]

That would be fairly terrible. It would mean the first service from north of the border wouldn't land in Dublin until nearly 10am and the first service from Newry wouldn't get in until the afternoon.

[Mark Gleeson]

Its utter rubbish, 6:50 is the busiest train of the day. Hourly services are planned in the next 2 years of so (tender out for the rolling stock overhaul)

[ThomasJ]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Within building regulations and various other guidelines, problem is its an entire package, any upgrade requires the full implementation of upgrade. Back in the old days the second platform would get a coat of tarmac and off we go

Politcos in Longford sunk the later train, it required the 18:05 to Longford to terminate in Mullingar return to Dublin and run back out to Mullingat. Parish pump politics once again sink sensible solutions to real problems

Was the plan not to run the 18:18 as far as Maynooth/Mullingar and run it back to Pearse in time to form the 21:00

It makes sense that with the 18:05 non-stop running the 18:18 tends to be quiet empty after Maynooth/Mullingar the 18:18 should be cut back. Longford does not need 2 commuter trains within the space of 15 minutes of each other.

[John J]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

The professional planning view is such long distance commuting is unsustainable.

Good to know these "professionals" have finally seen the light - after approving the construction of hundreds of thousands of houses in the @rse hole of nowhere, while presiding over a Dublin planning system which was possibly the most corrupt in the developed world.

But the "professionals" have had their epiphany and the innocent victims who were forced to buy houses in these backwaters will now suffer.

Long distance commuting is wrong after all - and it's your fault you're doing it. Apparantly.

[Mark Hennessy]

Originally Posted by John J

Good to know these "professionals" have finally seen the light - after approving the construction of hundreds of thousands of houses in the @rse hole of nowhere, while presiding over a Dublin planning system which was possibly the most corrupt in the developed world.

But the "professionals" have had their epiphany and the innocent victims who were forced to buy houses in these backwaters will now suffer.

Long distance commuting is wrong after all - and it's your fault you're doing it. Apparantly.

Whatever view the "professionals" had it didn't matter when it was govt policy to allow houses to built everyone in vast quantities. I think we all now see that the "boom" years were a legacy of this.

[Mickey H]

The SDLP politician John Dallat has issued the following (confusingly phrased) statement which while largely refering to the Derry line suggests there WILL be cuts in the Enterprise service:

DALLAT - HANDS OFF OUR RAILWAYS

A suggestion that rail services could be cut at the weekends hasn't gone down well with East Derry SDLP Spokesperson on Regional Development John Dallat who has fought a long battle to revive rail services and stop the closure of the Belfast-Derry line at Ballymena. Mr Dallat stated:

"Like all government departments, the Department of Regional Development is facing difficulties, not helped by the fact that the Assembly Executive is not meeting and shows no signs of doing so.

'It seems that the highly popular concessionary fares scheme could be capped which would attract unprecedented criticism of the department and hopefully won't happen.

'However it appears that a more likely victim of swingeing cuts is the railways which have never had the total commitment of the Department of Regional Development except during the period when Mark Durkan was Minister for Finance and made available the money to purchase new trains.

One likely outcome is to cancel Sunday Services and a cancellation of services on all trains after 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday. This would include two Enterprise trains which operate the Belfast-Dublin Service. There is particular concern for the Belfast-Derry line which was expected to have an increase in train services to eliminate the embarrassment of no trains arriving in the city before 9.00 a.m. Now it seems we are in for a reduction in services!

'Even with these swingeing cuts in service there is also a possibility of more fare increases on our rail services.

'There is also concern that the much publicised capital expenditure of £9 million pounds on the relaying of the track on the Belfast-Derry line north of Coleraine could be nothing more than a pleasant dream.

'Magilligan rail travellers have also taken seriously speculation that the station at Bellarena is due for the chop abandoning any hope of a transport link between the Bellarena and the Magilligan-Greencastle ferry service.

Clearly all this will be very embarrassing for the Department and the Minister Conor Murphy if any of it materialises, given that the Derry-Belfast line is now carrying more passengers than the Belfast-Dublin line.

The Railway Public Service Obligation (PSO) subsidy, which helps to reimburse operators, has not been increased since 2004 and amazingly the Department didn't even make a bid in the 2007 budget.

Amazingly the number of passengers carried on our trains has increased from 6 million to 10 million per annum but the department cannot show any evidence that this highly commendable performance has off-set cost increases."

ENDS

[Mickey H]

The worst case scenario is no trains on translink after 10PM and none at all on Sundays, specifically including cross broder services

See

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland...ine2225_bb.ram

for the next 24 hours (starts at 3 min 47 sec)

[ThomasJ]

did anyone hear rumours that the timetable could be deferred until march or even next summer

[chris]

Originally Posted by Mickey H

The worst case scenario is no trains on translink after 10PM and none at all on Sundays, specifically including cross broder services

I can't access the link because I'm abroad. Who is claiming this will happen?

It all sounds a bit draconian - there's no way they could get away with that, is there?