New Irish Rail Website

[Thomas Ralph]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Irish Rail booking offices can issue tickets to any Northern Irish destination upon request

Can as in the ticket machines are capable. The users may not be, and Almex machines will not have the fare for certain journeys (e.g. from a Dublin suburban station to an NIR suburban station), so it will need to be looked up and keyed manually.

[finnyus]

I'm heading from Cork to Waterford on the 29 Dec. The new website is giving less possible journeys than the old website.

The old website gives me an 0505 Cork - Newbridge & 0744 Newbridge - Waterford journey. But the new website is giving me as 0730 Cork - Waterford via Limerick Junction journey.

Just wondering why it would not give me the first journey on the new website.

[Inniskeen]

Originally Posted by ajdunlop

There seems to be no / very information little about Enterprise on the new site and still no ability to book to NIR stations not served by Enterprise. It appears that while Translink treat the Enterprise as a proper part of their service provision IÉ want to hide it!

Irish Rail would be delighted if the Enterprise service were to disappear, they already afford it little more priority than a goods train and frequently manage to convert an on time or marginally late departure from Dundalk into a 20 or 30 minute delay in Dublin. Anything remotely more complicated than an all stops DART appears to be beyond their operational horizon.

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by finnyus

Just wondering why it would not give me the first journey on the new website.

The new journey planner seems to enforce minimum connection times unlike the old system. I would not recommend the 0505 via Newbridge solution the timing leaves little leeway in event of a delay.

The journey planner does offer a lot of options via Dublin so it is not a lockout

[ajdunlop]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Irish Rail does not have a license to use the internal Northern Irish timetable so only Enterprise served stations are shown (all of which are bookable provided the origin is from the Republic of Ireland). Northern Irish railways do not support reservations in any shape or form so booking makes no difference.

This issue is under discussion with Irish Rail

Irish Rail booking offices can issue tickets to any Northern Irish destination upon request

I don't think that is good enough. If Translink have access to IÉ timetables I'm sure Translink would be willing to make theirs available if threatened with the removal of access to IÉ's.
Also I believe Translink website offers reduced fares for the NIR bit when part of an Enterprise journey.
Also for visitors to Ireland this isn't very good, many will probably assume that they can get details for trains for the whole of Ireland on the site of Irish Rail.
I think the fact that you can't reflects the same disinterest IÉ show in cooperating with NIR on running the Enterprise. I would argue that with a bit more connected thinking and promotion the Enterprise could be made more successful making infrasturcture upgrade costs more justifiable.

[Mark Gleeson]

The problem is Northern Irish Railways who refuse to play ball to assist in developing the service. I've had the strange experience of going to two north south meetings on the Enterprise service, Irish Rail and Translink attended in force for Belfast, Translink did not send anyone to the Dublin meeting.

Translink's journey planner does not support rail timetables south of Dublin, nor does Translink provide its timetable to any third parties, e.g. www.bahn.ie has the full Irish Rail, UK, French, German etc timetables loaded but nothing for Northern Ireland.

My understanding is Irish Rail have offered Translink a very straightforward deal which would bring Translink into the 21st century in terms of online sales and proper booking. There will be fit out of Wifi in the future, guess who is holding that up?

The evidence is clearly one of Translink holding onto the status quo and actually walking away from offers to solve the issue.

A dedicated visting Ireland page will be provided on the new Irish Rail site in early 2012. It was one of the RUI recommendations and Irish Rail has agreed to provide after the new site has fully replaced the old one.

Incidentally our colleagues in the European Passenger Federation are amazed at the fact full through ticketing applies across an international border its quite unique in Europe.

[dowlingm]

It's a pity that Assembly members are fixated on Dublin-Derry, since NI ministers are obliged to say more than "that is an internal matter for Translink" when asked a simple question about state-owned rail infrastructure and service. Certainly the notion that Translink should withhold timetable info is mindboggling.

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by dowlingm

It's a pity that Assembly members are fixated on Dublin-Derry, since NI ministers are obliged to say more than "that is an internal matter for Translink" when asked a simple question about state-owned rail infrastructure and service. Certainly the notion that Translink should withhold timetable info is mindboggling.

I think its more to the point, they don't have the information in a useable format. There is a fixation on Derry which is unhelpful.

[Inniskeen]

Originally Posted by dowlingm

It's a pity that Assembly members are fixated on Dublin-Derry, since NI ministers are obliged to say more than "that is an internal matter for Translink" when asked a simple question about state-owned rail infrastructure and service. Certainly the notion that Translink should withhold timetable info is mindboggling.

I presume you mean the N2/A5 when you say Dublin/Derry ?

NIR have had tremendous success on the Belfast/Derry line with traffic doubling in recent years due to a combination of the C3Ks, the upgrade of the Ballymena to Coleraine line, frequent services and competitive journey times (to Coleraine).

The NI civil servants would love to abandon Coleraine to Derry but the growing popularity of the service and political resistance appears to have succeeded in forcing an upgrade of the line which is scheduled for completion by early 2013.

[bamurf]

The new site seems to no longer offer customers the possibility of picking up services at 22:17 and 23:17 from Parkwest to Heuston that require a change in Newbridge to get back into Heuston, it's a real shame for anyone who fancied an overnight sojourn on the platform at Newbridge which was a special feature of the 23:17 service as the connecting train to Heuston doesn't depart Newbridge until 06:23, giving a total journey time of 7h 43m between two stations 5 miles apart.

[Mark Gleeson]

The new site does not allow 'overnight' journeys anymore which is a good thing.

It also no longer shows some journeys where connections are not guaranteed

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by bamurf

The new site seems to no longer offer customers the possibility of picking up services at 22:17 and 23:17 from Parkwest to Heuston that require a change in Newbridge to get back into Heuston, it's a real shame for anyone who fancied an overnight sojourn on the platform at Newbridge which was a special feature of the 23:17 service as the connecting train to Heuston doesn't depart Newbridge until 06:23, giving a total journey time of 7h 43m between two stations 5 miles apart.

If travelling from further flung parts, e.g. Galway-Dublin (overnight Athlone) that makes sense if you **really** need to be at your destination at an early hour, but perhaps not on such a short journey when alternatives are available.

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

The new site does not allow 'overnight' journeys anymore which is a good thing.

It also no longer shows some journeys where connections are not guaranteed

I think it would be useful if it did show them, but had a big red marker next to them saying the connection was doubtful. As it is, it allows an hour from Heuston to Connolly, which is so overly cautious as to be somewhat useless.

[dowlingm]

Inniskeen - it was actually a typo, I meant Belfast-Derry, although since you mention it the A5 thing works too

[Matt]

Quite a nice website, certainly better than the old one. I'm sure the booking engines etc will get better with time. No matter what you think of it, it could be worse: it could be like the NIR site!

[finnyus]

I took a trip on New Year's Eve from Limerick - Ballybrophy, outward on the 0730 Limerick - Heuston (as far as Ballybrophy) and back on the 1005 Ballybrophy - Limerick (via Nenagh).

The new website would not allow me to select the 1005 service, but the old website would allow me to select the service, therefore I was able to book my round-trip ticket on the old website only.

F.

[Jack O'Neill]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

New Irish Rail website...07 Dec 2011

5. A mobile version is in development

Is there any developement on the Mobile Version (promised in the IR news of 24 November 2011 as "mobile device friendly (coming early 2012)" also


I know there may be iPhone and Android app available, but I'm on Nokia Symbian. The previous train timetable on the old mobile website was quick & easy. Thanks!

[Mark Gleeson]

Its in progress

[Jack O'Neill]

Thanks.

[Mark Gleeson]

The app exists and is under test currently