Cork Cobh Closure Abandoned
 

Of course there was nothing to be seen in Cork or Cobh about this yesterday. This has been in planning for several months, August was originally the plan until someone figured out August was in fact the busiest month on the line!

No works on the ground to be seen in preparation

The platform works are desperately needed though from a safety point of view. And if they're sensibly doing it at the time of the Cork-Midleton work, all the better. Although as you say, it could be better publicised.

I've seen the platforms at first hand and they are in serious need of work, in length terms they are grand but the levels and surface are horrible. All looks a bit like you are back in the 1970's. Of course there is no signage. Before the eagle eyed ask the question of why 6 stations and only 11 platforms, Cobh only has one

The work doesn't seem to include any wheelchair accessible footbridges

In classic Irish Rail style the only station with a TVM is Little Island which also has a full booking office. Everything bar Little Island and Cobh are unstaffed

The revised timetables on display are in tatters since its simply a photocopied page, no one had the sense to laminate them to protect them from the elements

I hope that they install the points Glounthaune for the branch to Midleton during this period, they already have a few hundred metres of track down on the new line near Glounthaune, so this would be the perfect opportunity.

Interesting to note that August is the busiest month for the line, implying that day trippers to Fota in the summer are more numerous than commuters throughout the year.

I hope the line won't reopen with Pay and Display machines in Little Island and Glounthaune.... (watching this space)

The serious business is done when a cruise ship visits Cobh, they tie up at the quay at the station. For one of the big ships it means 5 extra trains each way and a 5 coach push pull set is generally used. There is even a second hut to sell tickets a big sign in red with the return fare written on it

It coming not sure when. Midleton will be charged from opening day

And the Cobh booking office seems to be closed more often than not.

Indeed it closed at 2:45 yesterday

If it is closed the guy on the train will sell you a ticket

Yes the conductor will, but
Attachment 812

I don't think they'll be looking to encourage parking in Midleton anyway. There isn't much space for a significant car park there and the station is on the Mill Road, meaning that traffic from most parts of East Cork would have to make their way across the town to get to the station.

The market for Midleton station will be mostly people who live in the town. Park and Ride customers are more likely to be encouraged to other stations.

Be charging all stations Cork in due course

I have to say, I'm not convinced by that move. Glounethaune and Little Island have ample free public parking around them, so it could well just end up with an empty car park.

I think parking at Cobh and Mallow is already charged.

Ive been using that line since I was a kid and the Conductor is always on the train and always sells tickets, never been any problem. You can correct me on this if I'm wrong but don't the bye laws say someting about being able to board a train without a ticket if the booking office is closed..................

No IE car park in cobh but the town does charge

Problem is not the byelaws but the dodgy and incorrect information IE provide

I'm not defending the lack of information about service disruption, which is inexcusable cosidering we live in the information age. I was just pointing out that a closed ticket office in Cobh has never presented a problem for train travel.

Never has been a problem, just imagine a tourist showing up faced with the sign saying no ticket no travel. Its confusing

Should be

Tickets are available from the booking office
If the office is closed you must pay the conductor on the train
Fare evaders will be prosecuted ....

Yeah, you can imagine tourists from some of the more regulation-obeying nations . . . I could generalise a lot here, but you know the types of countries I'm talking about.

Frau Schmidt : This sign says that we must not travel without a ticket. We do not have a ticket, therefore we must not travel. The logic is in-escapable. Perhaps if there was an employee here we could buy a ticket or ask him if we mis-understand the sign but there is no employee. Gott-in-himmel, what a country.

Herr Schmidt : Let us return to the cruise ship and spend our money there.

Seriously, that poster is not a good idea. They should really put in the effort and include something to say "*unless the ticket office is closed in which case you can board the train and buy your ticket later".

It's fine for all the people who know this is the way things operate in the Peoples Republic.

z

So the line is closed from the 3rd onwards

But no one bothered to update the timetable online to reflect this
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In th Peoples Republic Area Metro there is always a conductor with the train who can be asked when the train arrives if he would be so kind to "permit us to board zis train as ve have kein teekets and ze offez is clozed".


Paddy in Germany: Look the ticket machine is out of order and the office closed and I can't board the fecking train without a ticket:eek: .
Paddy spots train conductor hanging out of train to blow his whistle and says "ware can i get a bleedin ticket?:confused: " "You may board ze train herr paddy and ve vill sell you einz teeket":D replies conductor. "donkey shine" replies paddy:)

Of course when this happened too me in Holland as well the conductor promptly charged me the on train fare which was an extra 5 euros at the time:mad:

Clarity of communication is the key thing here.

The signage is confusing and misleading. Conductors are not always present on the Cobh line from the information I have received and indeed at times the crowds are so great that the conductor has no choice but to sit out the journey in the back cab