Thats true no doubt.

Tell you what though, I'm pretty sure a Dublin mayor would have provided a more compelling case for funds for Dublin transport than any of the last 3 transport ministers have done. FCC have alot to answer for in rejecting the proposal.

Electrification and Navan rail
 

http://amp.irishexaminer.com/breakin...mpression=true
At last CIE are thinking of the future usually they only obstruct the development of rail transport. The piece mentions the wait for electrification , why the wait it’s obvious that it must happen given the oil situation and our failure to meet climate change goals that Ire signed up to. It’s now that the likes of the rail line to Navan should be opened and for a change put rail ahead of road building though I know that’s where the politician and the developer are on the same sheet. Electrify now and expand rail to airport and Navan.

Capacity Sligo line
 

Traveled on the early train to Dub on Maynooth line last week - very good service and used in big numbers. The train stopped all the way in to Dub so the time was over 2hrs. If the train had a last stop in Maynooth and then sped into Pearse station it would be a better service and those from the Longford / Mullingar distances would be more inclined to use it. Currently its a little too slow unlike the outward train which did not have first stop until Kilcock - much better!

Goods: you say your journey was about 2 hours: from where to where? Sligo trains generally run from Maynooth to Connolly calling only at Drumcondra. A non-stop Maynooth to Pearse would make no sense whatsoever. What point are you trying to make?

The problem with running non-stop from Maynooth to Connolly is you can only go fast until you come up behind a commuter train as there are only two sets of tracks.

Maynooth to Pearse typically takes 50 minutes these days (if things are running on time). I'm sure it was 45 mins a few years ago.

Drogheda to Pearse generally takes 1hr 10mins. When I moved to Drogheda, most trains did it in an hour.

I would hope that electrification would help bring journey times down.

Having a few morning Maynooth trains run non-stop between Clonsilla and Broombridge would make a bit of sense given that there is extra frequency there from Dunboyne. Definitely the Longford trains should do this as this would make it feasible to use ICRs for them. The journey is far too long for 29Ks.

NTA quarterly performance reports
 

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/pub.../rail/reports/

Its interesting that when you go to the NTA site and look for the quarterly performance reports for 2018 only the first two quarters are shown. Performance of rail and the need to adjust where necessary is not happening if the reports are out of date and unpublished.