[article] Phoenix Park Tunnel
 

Bit of a strange way to learn about this

http://www.sdublincoco.ie/sdcc/depar....aspx?id=46317

Grand Canal Dock confirmed as terminus

Interesting...

4 trains per hour from Portlaoise/Kildare peak will some timetabling if intercity services are not to be delayed. Current service is one train per hour with a few extras thrown in around peak hours. Unless, of course, they mean that some will operate to/from Newbridge.

Info from Irish Rail this morning is 4 trains in the morning/evening peak, not 4 trains an hour.

Lots of confusion need to get some timetable clarity.

Ideally they should start a 3 train an hour Hazelhatch to Grand Canal Dock service, simple and allows for connections into services at Hazelhatch

Can then run all the Portlaoise services non stop Hazelhatch Heuston

And more

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news...-31051427.html

Not sure Hazelatch serves that needed, I think Portlaoise-Hazelhatch and onto GCD. Numbers beyond Hazelhatch cannot possibly justify such a service and then a shuttle to Heuston from Hazelhatch.

Cannot see IE going to stop all IC services at Hazelhatch.

As for the delays to Portlaoise, it happens but not overly major, perhaps better use of Sallins loop would help rather than holding. Remember the commuter service has enough timetabled in to absorb delays so expect it would be no different going to GCD.

They should probably look at doing something similar on Maynooth after Luas BXD opens. The peak-time service would work a lot better if the local traffic between Clonsilla and Broombridge was served by Dunboyne trains only and passengers could swap between Luas, Connolly and Docklands services at Broombridge.

This would obviously require better Luas / Irish Rail fare integration which isn't terribly likely but one can dream. Hopping off a Longford train at Broombridge and transferring to a tram for Stephen's Green would be a much more attractive option than the long walk from Connolly.

We could quite quickly have something that starts looking like an integrated transport system if Irish Rail get the details right.

Are these going to stop at Platform 10 in Heuston?

That would be the intention but some trackwork would be required first as east bound trains cannot at present visit P10 and return to the correct track.

No mention of that work anywhere which is concerning.

P10 sucks if you rely on Heuston currently, need to get the 145 terminus moved down there as a starting point.

Q2/3 2016 is optimistic, Phase 2 of the resignalling will be done by then opening the 3rd platform in Grand Canal Dock, but the Tara Street/Connolly area is unlikely to be finished

The plan as I understand it does include installing a crossover north of platform 10 to allow for trains bound for Grand Canal Dock to serve platform 10 and then switch tracks.

And most definitely the 145 will have to be extended up to the turning circle once more. There would still be a large volume of people leaving the train at Heuston for the immediate surrounding area and along the Quays.

GCD is very busy in the mornings already, with the potential for 3 trains to arrive at once when the new platform is open, are there any plans to improve access routes in the station (the bridge seems to be a real bottleneck).

GCD is a real problem alright. I have seen talk of an exit at the north end but nothing detailed.

It's currently close to being unsafe

Passenger flow and platform congestion are potentially an issue at all the city centre stations to one degree or another. Pearse is the best equipped to cope with additional traffic, Tara Street is restricted both in terms of platform surface area and access. Connolly likewise can be congested, particularly in respect of platform 6 & 7 arround the access ramp.

The Phoenix Park tunnel trains will probably be modestly loaded by the time they reach Grand Canal Dock but will obviously put pressure on already unsatisfactory access arrangements.

Northern line trains will also be terminating at GCD once the new platform is complete.

So, has the north strand- entrance into Connolly been resolved?

At the moment we can have waits into Connolly because the track used to enter Connolly has to he shared with northbound services , has this / will this be sorted when this happens?

The last thing you want is maynooth trains stuck at glasnevin junction waiting on inbound Kildare trains, then stuck again at north strand!

And maynooth trains I hope.

Not really as you have parallel movement when you have a Maynooth line Docklands service and a Park Tunnel train

Ah okay.

But what about the stretch of track from drumcondra into Connolly? Will that be sorted?

It will be sorted by a timetable recast and the resignalling at Connolly.

There is plenty of space to operate 4 extra trains during the peak - really this is a non-issue.

Just out of general interest, could Glassnavan junction be reconfigured to allow Drumcondra bypass access to the tunnel. Long term surly something like this would be required as service levels will increase long term. While DART underground will happen at some point, this could be needed at some stage or will both lines feeding into Connolly restrict.

I don't know the junction really well but couldn't the embankment between Sligo and tunnel line be knocked and crossovers moved West to connect both lines.

Operationally I think it could be an impotent part for Heuston services as while not overly common services get suspended through Drumcondra for various reasons so I don't think suspending Heuston services is acceptable while it may not be often.

Perhaps could benefit Heuston bypass Drumcondra and Maynooth/Sligo left as they are but Connolly could be the problem.