Daily seat Lottery - Connolly to Mullingar not 17.05 but 18:05

[Ballymore]

I know for a fact that not being able to get a seat regularly on this service is affecting more than me so was just wondering has anyone been sending in complaints like I have just done below and if so what sort of a response are you getting?



'I'm sure this is a complete waste of time but I am going to go through with it anyway and mark my words I will complain from now on EVERY single time that this happens. I pay in excess of €2000 per annum for my annual train ticket from Mullingar to Connolly and repeatedly evening after evening I take part in the lottery for seats. Yesterday I had to stand in crowded conditions you'd hardly find in India as far as Maynooth. It's disgraceful and unacceptable. I seen a comment attributed to Barry Kenny recently in the Westmeath Examiner saying that he would not be doing anything about this as there are ample seats from Maynooth onwards. Thats so arrogant and rude beyond belief. I am a customer and pay for a ticket from Mullingar to Connolly for a seat not for an uncomfortable stand still till I am halfway home.'

[CSL]

You're paying for a ticket not a seat...

[ThomasJ]

I pay in excess of €2000 per annum for my annual train ticket from Mullingar to Connolly and repeatedly evening after evening I take part in the lottery for seats. Yesterday I had to stand in crowded conditions you'd hardly find in India as far as Maynooth

The 17:05 doesn't stop in Maynooth. Mullingar is the first stop.

[Ballymore]

Yes you're right it's the 18.05 I meant. Apologies - what a way to introduce myself to the forums by making a dogs dinner of my maiden post!

As for the seat / ticket comment - dont be so facetious. If that was a genuinely acceptable reason then why dont airlines work on the same principle then? I'm sure Michael O'Leary would love it but how would you fancy standing on a flight to Budapest for instance, oh but it'll be ok as we'll stop in paris and when a few people get off you might just get a seat.

[Mark Gleeson]

18:05 is a commuter service, thus standing is to be expected. The train is designed to accommodate up to 1240 people. It is a dedicated commuter service for those travelling to Maynooth and beyond with the 18:08 service for all others.

This train should be 8 coaches long at this stage, if the train is not there is the problem the rolling stock shortage will resolve itself in the next 2 weeks

If you want a seat 17:05 or 19:05 are fairly reasonable. I'm more than happy to make a trip out on the 18:05 to evaluate the situation. Only advice is to arrive in good time and to board at the far end of the train not at the Dublin end

[ThomasJ]

This train should be 8 coaches long at this stage, if the train is not there is the problem the rolling stock shortage will resolve itself in the next 2 weeks

I thought the 18:08 would have got 8 coaches it thats worst than the 18:05

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by CSL

You're paying for a ticket not a seat...

Thats not really a terribly helpful answer.

No passenger should have to stand on an intercity journey. Its 54 minutes to Mullingar on the 17:05, standing for that duration is not acceptable, especially on a train which isn't designed to cope with signifcant level of standees. Unlike the Uk which monitors standing levels, under 20 minutes being the target IE don't give a damn and just pack people in.

Matters should get a fair bit better this week onwards, there is now a new 6 coach 360 seater train leaving Connolly for Sligo at 16:00, 17:05 and 19:05 five days a week, thats about 450 extra seats. Previously the 16:00 was Fridays only and the 19:05 was a 4 coach train

Seat reservations are coming on the Sligo line in coming weeks, how this is implemented for annual ticket holders has never been explained

Given the 17:05 doesn't call in Maynooth I'm curious as to how you got a seat there

The good Mr Kenny used to be a Maynooth line commuter, he moved to Howth, wonder why?

[ThomasJ]

No passenger should have to stand on an intercity journey. Its 54 minutes to Mullingar on the 17:05, standing for that duration is not acceptable, especially on a train which isn't designed to cope with signifcant level of standees. Unlike the Uk which monitors standing levels, under 20 minutes being the target IE don't give a damn and just pack people in.

I can't see how without segregating passengers before they board or give automatic ticket reservations to those who travel furthest how its gonna work.

Having said that 18:05 longford is the commuter train that wasn't meant to be.....theres a chance people would be forced to stand? I have stood from Pearse to Maynooth for over 40 minutes. painful as it is it still happens. It could be worst you could be standing on a bus for over 2 hours as some people from Blanchardstown endured last christmas.

Intercity is different though.... passengers from Mullingar and beyond shouldn't have to stand

[thedailygrudge]

Hi Ballymore,

Yes, a group of complain regularly but Paul Slowey of Irish Rail doesn't really see the need to put on more carriages on the 18.05 Longford train.
In one meeting, he explained to us that it is a fact of modern day life that we have to stand and we are lucky we are not on more crowded services. He then said that you always get seats in Maynooth anyway! This is not the case now with some people standing to Enfield or Mullingar.

This was the email I received from P. SLowey of Irish Rail;

"The new 17.05 hrs. Sligo service is proving very popular with Mullingar commuters as it runs non-stop. Staff undertake a passenger count shortly before departure but even with a number of passengers joining it in the last 5 minutes, I have not received any feedback in regard to passengers standing on board. Every year we undertake a survey of passenger loadings on every single service and trends show an increase in passenger travel which reflects on the good service being provided. Currently we do not have any further carriages available to add to the 18.05 hrs. Longford service but we will re-visit the situation for our next timetable."

ANother email stated;
"Currently there are no further carriages available to boost train sizes but in the medium term, new Intercity railcars will give some additional suburban rolling stock into the Dublin Connolly based fleet which will ease the loadings on some services. However there is simply insufficient carriages to provide large trains on all services."

I find that this is just a fob off & they always focus on the fact we should be so "grateful" for the 17.05 express new trains.

What about the rest of us working til 5.30 with no option to catch the nice trains? Also no option to get home after 19.00. Becuase obviously none of us work that late!!! So lucky we have such a "good service" his words not mine!

[SardineFrank]

well realistically the 18.05 service should skip maynooth. the maynooth folk have the dart service option.

this train was brought in to address the fact trains take ages to get to mullingar... yet maynooth is made a stop and there's just to god damn many of them who will ruin it for all mullingar folk because it's a lil faster for them.

as it is it's crowded, smelly, and i've got to stand for the best part of an hour.

i take the 19.05 as a consequence. at least i have comfort but home i don't see until 8.25ish. alas...