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Unread 08-08-2012, 09:57   #64
Thomas J Stamp
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: The Home of Hurling
Posts: 2,708
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Inniskeen View Post
The 0505 from Limerick service, like all the other 05xx services from various locations do little or no business until they get close to Dublin. While an 0830 arrival might be attractive, a departure in the early hours of the morning is not. For this service to be in any way attractive it needs to have a later departure and a significantly shorter journey time. It should run as an express from Ballybrophy serving at most Portlaoise and Portarlington.
the other early morning services are long standing, the nenagh one is not, and it competes directly (and fails accordingly) with a parellell service from Thurles and Templemore which is used a lot more. I admit that i cant provide up to date figures on the early temeplemore services, as i hvae been getting the roscrea one instead, but up till this year there are regularly 12 getting on at temeplmore on each of the two early trains. Thats some difference to a total of four on the entire branchline, which is cheaper, and on which the season ticket prices are the same as on the mainline, so there should be no transfer problems.

The 0505 is only making any money because it stops from Newbridge inwards. Very few get on in Portlaoise and Monesterevin. Whilst I once enjoyed the privilage of being on an express from BB to dublin, it was lonely. Having an express train for perhaps 20 or 30 people is a total waste of resources. Saying that "if only it ran express from ballybrophy it would be full from limerick" not only flies in the face to the reality on the ground, it ignores the fact that this train will always take over an hour from brophy, which means it will always be competing with the early services from thurles and templemore where there is a history of long distance commuting to dublin, of which there isnt on the branch line.
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