Sunday June 14th sees new low for Dublin/Belfast service.

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Wilkinstown	Sunday June 14th sees new low for Dublin/Belfast service.	Lead	[-]
Posts: 397 (14/06/09 21:26:39) Full Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tags : None The 1300 Dublin/Belfast Enterprise left approximately 150 passengers behind this afternnon. The unfortunate residue were dispatched on a following train at 1317 formed by a 4-car 2800 and told to expect a bus connection from Dundalk. Why would anybody want to pay for such a rubbish service ? What type of outfit considers such nonsense acceptable ? Looks as if co-operation between NIR and IR has reached an all time low.
secondlaststop		#1	[-]
Posts: 756 (14/06/09 21:53:11) Full Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Just curious to know why there were so many passengers at 13h00 departing Dublin? I wouldn't have thought there were so many travelling north at lunchtime on a Sunday. DSE
Platform10		#2	[-]
Posts: 215 (14/06/09 22:15:33) Full Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	To be fair Wilkinstown every route in the country experienced exceptionally heavy loadings today and indeed yesterday due to the Take That concert. Perhaps there was no 29000 available or a driver with route knowledge to Belfast? In fairness a train was provided within 15 minutes, which is not bad, and an exceptionally reliable one at that. OK I accept that is not ideal that it was a bus connection for those continuing north, but with the signalling differences between the two companies it isn't always possible to provide a train that would go all the way to Belfast. I'm sure that the passengers were happy to get a train - most don't care as long as they get home.
Mayner		#3	[-]
Posts: 300 (15/06/09 04:43:17) Full Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Seems to be the old argument about whether the railways should be subsidised by the taxpayer (98% of whom dont use the train) to cater for peak demand or operate as cost effective a service as possible by balancing supply and demand through price just like the airlines and private bus companies. Do IE still sell tickets to who ever turns up at the station or are sales on services like the Enterprise limited to the number of seats on the train? John
metrovick001		#4	[-]
Posts: 559 (15/06/09 11:30:48) Full Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Its incredible to think that in 2009 two tiny railway companies operating on the same rail & loading gauge on the same island should have two different signalling systems that prohibits through running of most stock. When one looks east to "the continent" multi-voltage, multi-lingual, multi-signal, various operators et cetera, are all overcome to provide integrated services.
scaniaps		#5	[-]
Posts: 277 (15/06/09 19:58:32) Full Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Avery suitable subject for 'Luas Talk' don't you think?
Wilkinstown		#6	[-]
Posts: 400 (15/06/09 20:35:24) Full Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Platform10 wrote: To be fair Wilkinstown every route in the country experienced exceptionally heavy loadings today and indeed yesterday due to the Take That concert. Perhaps there was no 29000 available or a driver with route knowledge to Belfast? In fairness a train was provided within 15 minutes, which is not bad, and an exceptionally reliable one at that. OK I accept that is not ideal that it was a bus connection for those continuing north, but with the signalling differences between the two companies it isn't always possible to provide a train that would go all the way to Belfast. I'm sure that the passengers were happy to get a train - most don't care as long as they get home. No 29000s available on a Sunday afternoon ? - there was a set on an adjacent platform. There was also a set incoming to Connolly on the 1230 from Maynooth which could have been swapped for the 2800 set. As for the availability of a driver I cannot say. I suspect there would be very few Connolly drivers who would only know the road to Dundalk as the few services starting or terminating there are generally covered by Drogheda or Dundalk drivers. The fact that "it is not always possible to provide a train that can go all the way to Belfast" really sums up the farcical situation that now exists on the Belfast route. There were two spare Enterprise/NIR compatible locomotives in Connolly at lunchtime yesterday but nothing for them to pull ! In fact Irish Rail currently have no rolling stock (other than De-Dietrichs) which meets the requirements for operation to Belfast. It appears that it is beyond the capabilities of the joint operators to sort out this shambles. Mind you NIR were obbviously asleep on the job, busily selling tickets without making any attempt to provide the return capacity. So passengers don't care as long as they get home - keep up operating to this principle and watch customers vote with their feet as so many have already done.
scrapman752		#7	[-]
Posts: 63 (15/06/09 20:50:36) Full Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Wheres the the 6 3 car 22000s that are equipped to work on NIR why has none been cleared to work the Belfast route yet.
Platform10		#8	[-]
Posts: 216 (15/06/09 21:35:44) Full Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I agree with you Wilkinstown regarding the lack of any standby rolling stock. However, my comment regarding the passengers' tastes in trains was directed specifically at the clientele, who were Take That fans. Believe me the type of train would not have been at the top of their priorities!!!
Retro Herbie		#9	[-]
Posts: 336 (15/06/09 21:35:44) Full Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	So passengers don't care as long as they get home - keep up operating to this principle and watch customers vote with their feet as so many have already done. Seven of us travelled to Dublin on Friday evening for the Journey/Whitesnake/Def Lepa concert in the point. The plan was to travel friday afternoon enterprise, stay in Dublin Friday night and return Saturday afternoon enterprise. I tried to book the promo fare on the Enterprise at the start of the week, (I was more interested in getting a booked seat than the promo fare) it wouldnt let me book on the web so I contacted Translink to buy the tickets, I was told they had to be booked three days in advance, this was Tuesday morning and the train I was trying to book was Friday teatime, according to my calender thats three and a half days but there was no movement from them. Not a problem I thought, no promo fare but I'll book the seats anyway (in the past youve only ever been able to reserve seats in first plus, but surely NIR with web booking etc allows you to book any seat) What sort of crazy thought got into my head! Booking seats is a total no no, the guy on the phone said my only option was to turn up at Portadown and purchase the tickets there, and same for the Saturday return - seats were pot luck and there was every chance the train seats could be over sold. There was no way seven of us plus bags (small ones at that) were going to chance turning up at PN in the hope we might get a seat. Its this kind of awkward attitude and approach from Translink puts people off travelling by train, needless to say we took the car. modelshopbelfast.com - something very tasty's cooking!
Wilkinstown		#10	[-]
Posts: 401 (15/06/09 22:20:10) Full Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Platform10 wrote: I agree with you Wilkinstown regarding the lack of any standby rolling stock. However, my comment regarding the passengers' tastes in trains was directed specifically at the clientele, who were Take That fans. Believe me the type of train would not have been at the top of their priorities!!! There was apparently no train north of Dundalk. Presumeably if the passengers concerned wanted to travel by bus they would have bought cheaper bus tickets and travelled throughout by bus. Not all the inconvenienced passengers were concert goers in any event, many were regular users displaced by concert goers. Incidentally the 1000 to Belfast on the same date was 35 minutes late "due to mechanical difficulties". The railway companies need to cop on to themselves or we will be discussing railbuses for more than Limerick Junction/Waterford.
Redstarcastles		#11	[-]
Posts: 110 (16/06/09 18:14:28) Full Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	22000s on the Enterprise would solve a lot of problems. I tried to book the promo fare on the Enterprise at the start of the week, (I was more interested in getting a booked seat than the promo fare) it wouldnt let me book on the web so I contacted Translink to buy the tickets, I was told they had to be booked three days in advance, this was Tuesday morning and the train I was trying to book was Friday teatime, according to my calender thats three and a half days but there was no movement from them. Interesting that. I was recently in Limerick and decided to try the special promo fair at about 18.30 in the Concourse (standard fair to Dublin was €50 single). I checked the site and continued and got a €15 fair plus 2 quid credit card charge. I got the 19.50 ex Limerick and connected in at the Jct with the Dublin train with my name in lights above my seat. Very efficient and a good service. Maybe Translink can't cope with on-line booking?
Retro Herbie		#12	[-]
Posts: 337 (16/06/09 19:44:48) Full Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	*Maybe Translink can't cope with on-line booking* Thats putting it politely, there are light years behind IE, they have only just in the last month or so introduced the concept of a monthly ticket that doesnt expire on the 30 or 31st of the month - I kid you not. modelshopbelfast.com - something very tasty's cooking!
dermo88		#13	[-]
Posts: 126 (16/06/09 19:54:48) Full Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Translink cannot cope with being more than a Bus company. They are the UTA Mk2. The Enterprise is due another upgrade, with the last one taking place in the 1994-1996 period. The original plan was to reduce the journey time to 1 hour 35 minutes from Dublin to Belfast, which was never achieved due to congestion at both ends of the line. There were rumours in 2005, if you remember back that far that the Meridian trains from the UK were going to be brought over to operate the service. With the improved bypasses around Dundalk and Drogheda, the fares charged for a "premium" service are no longer justified, and it must qualify as the slowest "International" service in Western Europe at this stage. These will drive passengers away towards Bus Eireann and other companies. We have to admit that the first upgrade was botched and done on the cheap, and that a second one, will need to add additional track between Dublin and Howth Junction, preferably beyond in order to alleviate congestion. This won't come cheap. Its either that, or the service will no longer have the confidence and faith of the public at large.

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Sunday June 14th sees new low for Dublin/Belfast service.

Sunday June 14th sees new low for Dublin/Belfast service.

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