It is hard to know if it is just better media reporting, but the incidence of multi-hour delays seems to have grown a lot over the last few years. But maybe this is because the network is being run a lot closer to capacity these ways than it was 10 years ago.
When I started commuting there were 4 or 5 Sligo services each way per day and two Longford services. Now we have two-hourly service to Sligo most of the day, and hourly service down to Longford (with an extra commuter service) from 3:05 to 7:05. While it probably hasn't been quite so dramatic, there has been a significant increase in frequency out of Heuston. So now instead of it being a simple matter of running a loco down to rescue a dead train, the rescuer has to pass two or three other trains stuck behind the dead service. So a lot of time, it probably is simpler to get the dead service limping on site rather than trying to haul it out.
The worse delay I ever had was about 10 years ago near Inny Junction where a loco-hauled service hit a herd of cattle. Despite there being another loco in Edgeworthstown waiting for us to cross, it took them about 2 hours to get us hauled about 8km to Edgeworthstown because the brakes were partially stuck on the damaged train. If it was a matter of having to get us further, it would probably have been simpler to get it patched on site.
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