[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by wolf99

1) Seriously, what is with the hour or so it takes to get from maynooth to connolly?!?!

It should only take 25-30 minutes according to the timetable. However, if one train is delayed, that can have knock-on effects on other trains. Maynooth line trains are constantly delayed between Drumcondra and Connolly. DART and commuter trains receive highest priority, as they typically have the highest loadings, however, sometimes common sense goes astray and an already late train is kept even later. The layout of Connolly isn't great and aside from the current signalling and points works, changing it is unlikely in the current financial circumstances.

2) Why are there still commuter cars operating on this line?!!! When they were put on "temporarily" before the new intercities arrived we were promised the intercities would replace them...yet they're still here. At the time IE was made VERY aware of the commuter's deficiencies.

New trains are being commissioned at the moment, so hopefully things will change during 2012.

3) Why is the catering car always on the intercities but never operational??

As best we can determine, institutionalised indifference. If a train service is advertised as having a dining car, it should have one - and it should be open. Feel free to complain any time it isn't - in writing is best - use the heading "complaint" as that will then affect their statistics.

4) Severe lack of passing places. I was on a train about a week ago that arrived an hour late (subsequently missing my belfast connection) due to having to wait on 2 VERY late down trains.

The afternoon train to Dublin has to pass, I think, 5 trains between Mullingar and Maynooth, with only 5 passing places. It is unacceptable and we have suggested changes, e.g. an extra passing place at The Downs. There have been level crossing improvements, but that is only part of the job.

5) Is it just me or do the trains on this line travel slower in general than other trains? Even the intercities in the Dublin area seem to travel faster and the belfast express could be travelling at warp speed compared to it.

Parts of the Sligo line aren't great and that stems from its legacy of being built to follow the canal. Like several other lines, there are bridge and level crossing problems remaining. Enterprise has its own problems.

6) Why does the Sligo train never seem to pull into P3? Even if P3 is empty, when P4 is in use it nearly always pulls into P1...

I'm not sure. It is possible that they want to keep 3 & 4 free in case of train failures - 4 is the only terminating platform that is electrified and it is next to the DART platforms

7) The socket power issue on the intercities. The sockets in the front/driving car always work, but its a smaller car, the rest very rarely work at this point. sometimes the ticket will agree to go see if they can reset the car, but invariably they either cant, or it just trips again...

They need to replace all the sockets. Pressing the test button on the socket can trip the master fuse for all the sockets in a carriage. The front carriage will tend to be OK as the driver will habitually check his fuses at the start of a journey, but won't go through the train checking all of them. Do NOT press the test button!

8) Is there any sort of a schedule as to when the Sligo line will be getting Wi-Fi? And why, if the trial on the cork line was successful enough for it to be introduced for the other lines, is it being reported that it may be 2013 before other lines see Wi-Fi?

I don't know the details. However, it isn't just a matter of buying a box and putting it on all the trains, the lines need to be surveyed to find the locations where there is little / no mobile phone coverage and additional masts put in place, which takes time. To fit several hundred carriages also takes time and money.

9) Why does the cork line always get the good stuff? In a lot (not all) of publications, programmes etc, the interviewee chooses the Cork line as their fave. I would guess this is mostly because it is reported as having the best service (Ive never been on it so IDK). Seems it gets the best service because more folks use it because it gets the best service.... extending > if other lines got better service maybe user numbers would rise on those lines also??? It seems however that CIE never ascribes to this logic, instead preferring the opposite: the other lines dont do so well so we'll let them deteriorate and focus on the lines that are already doing well.
Never having used the Cork line this could be somewhat down to my perception and a case of the grass is always greener... maybe there's some happy juice in the air conditioning )

I think there is a "the grass is always greener" element. While the Cork-Dublin services mostly have wi-fi, there are few power sockets (1-2 per carriage) and while there are more services, there are also more services that can delay other trains. In fairness, the Sligo service isn't bad, if they could clear some of the points above, in particular the commuter carriages and the punctuality.

10) What's going on with the current works on sligo's Mac Diarmada station?
I hope they're not taking down the walls around it, there'd be some breeze cut across the platform then.... are they finally going to put a lid on the place?

I'm not familiar with the works. There are quite a few stations that are receiving small improvements at the moment.