Trains this week

[sandraoh]

I don't know about anyone else but I have had a lot of bad experiences with trains this week and its beginning to annoy me quite frankly. I catch the 7:24 service from Portlaoise everyday and so far this week it hasn't left Portlaoise until at least 7:40. This morning it was so late that we were told to catch the 7:41 train instead which didn't get in until 8:58 meaning I got in half an hour later than usual.

So far this week I have been at least 10 minutes late getting into dublin and this is before problems of "leaf slip" begin. Does anyone know why the new train is late all the time?

Last night I planned on catching the 18:35 to Portlaoise but when I got into the station the board said nothing about an 18:35 train but that there was a train called 18:45 Thurles/New. The station announcer said that the 18:35 service was deferred to 18:45 for today(wednesday) only and that boarding would commence at 18:30-18:35 approx. I made an executive decision fromlooking at the length of the queue and joined the queue for the 19:00 train instead because there was no chance of getting anything resembling a seat on the 18:35/45. The boarding of the 18:45 started at around about 18:45 and it was stampede like to watch. The train left at 18:55 and the cork train left pretty much on time at 19:02. We didn't get into Portlaoise unitl 20:20 however.

With the way things are going this week one wonders what joys lie ahead for tonight and tomorrow.

Just another query. What is the role of the train manager/host?

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by sandraoh

So far this week I have been at least 10 minutes late getting into dublin and this is before problems of "leaf slip" begin. Does anyone know why the new train is late all the time?

It has trouble waking up in the morning I'm serious, it takes 10 minutes to bring it to life even if it was left switched on overnight

There are issues with the locomotives unable to top 85 mph, that does equate to about 10 minutes in time over 160 miles, I've experienced it crusing at 83-85mph for mile after mile even where 100mph is permitted

Last night I planned on catching the 18:35 to Portlaoise but when I got into the station the board said nothing about an 18:35 train but that there was a train called 18:45 Thurles/New. The station announcer said that the 18:35 service was deferred to 18:45 for today(wednesday) only

The 18:35/18:45 called every stop on the way so that held you up

Deferred == Cancelled

Just another query. What is the role of the train manager/host?

Its customer service only, no technical or operational role from what I'm aware. Put it this way some of them are not very train savy nice and friendly though. Hidden somewhere in coach G at the very front you are likely to find a senior IE engineer who is there to babysit

A thread for each day would be useful I'm trying to compile a list of breakdowns etc, train x on day y left z minutes late would be extremely helpful

[sandraoh]

Is the train manager supposed to be visible/easy to find? Who do you contact in the event of an altercation?

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by sandraoh

Is the train manager supposed to be visible/easy to find? Who do you contact in the event of an altercation?

The train manager (most likely Tracey or Siobhain on the 19:00) is meant to walk through the train regularly, in the old days the guard used to hide

There is a passenger communication panel at the coach end with the luggage rack, break glass push button and you should then hear a solid tone on the train PA, so the train manager is made aware. The train manager then can view on any computer screen which coach you are in, talk to you and see you on the CCTV. I'm sure by now you have heard the PA chime slightly different to the normal one thats to indicate the driver wants to talk to the train manager. They have used such on the TGV for decades.

The communication cord does not stop the train on a Mk4 as far as we know

[sandraoh]

I'm just thinking about the 21:00 train actually. I was talking to someone who was threatened by a passenger and she walked the length of the train looking for someone and was about to ring 999 when she ran into the ticket checker. There is a nasty message about a fine over those communication buttons and breaking glass seems a little extreme. I don't think she wanted to draw attention to herself either in the circumstances.

[Mark Gleeson]

The conditions of use of the communication cord system are not clear however if you have been threatened by a passenger or an incident is about to turn nasty, the passenger communcation system is there, don't worry about the glass its main purpose is to stop you accidentally pushing it. Once its pushed the computer will log it and may flag the CCTV for later viewing. Its very discrete since it just sounds a tone through the train PA, unless you knew what it meant you would ignore it, you do have to actually trigger it thats the only issue. You will not be fined unless it was used in an act of vandalism, the communication cord shouldn't apply the brakes on the modern trains

The Railway Safety Commission is currently preparing a passenger safety guide, we have been asked to review a draft and comment and the issue of emergency situations on train is not covered in any useful detail in the draft I have.

On a Mk4 train, there will be staff in the Dining car, Dublin end coach B, there is likely to be a senior IE engineer hidding in coach G at the Cork end in the very last row. If things get crazy the toilet also has a passenger communcation panel.

On all other trains the guard will be in the generator van normally at the Cork end

[Mark Hennessy]

Saw this on boards.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...p?t=2054996413

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/...iew&news_id=60

Seems they are dumping stops from the timetable.

[Mark Gleeson]

Other posts indicate no change, we would have been up in arms if there had been a cutback but there wasn't

Double checked train calls at Hazelhatch, Sallins and Kildare at the same times as before.

This was discussed in a thread somewhere else seemed to be triggered due to poor reliability of the 18:35

[Thomas J Stamp]

I thought that the 1835 was being brought forward by ten mins solely because of the long wait in Ballybrophy for the 19.00 to pass it out, as it is due to the constant lateness of the 19.00 you can be stuck in Ballybrophy for ages waiting on it, and here is the IE solution.

As for this:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...p?t=2054996413

It's nice to see that the usual Boards.ie level of informed and reasoned debate is being adhered to.

And you wonder why we dont post there anymore?

[Oisin88]

Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp

As for this:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...p?t=2054996413

It's nice to see that the usual Boards.ie level of informed and reasoned debate is being adhered to.

And you wonder why we dont post there anymore?

They are not very nice to each other, are they?

[sandraoh]

this morning the 07:34 didn't arrive in DUblin until 8:51 (21 minutes late) and last night the 18:35 didn't start boarding until 18:37

[Philly]

The new timetables shoud state that times are "approx", or there for novelty value....

[Mark Gleeson]

There is a now 25mph restriction through Adamstown following the removal of 2 bridges over the weekend that won't help matters

[sandraoh]

I'm sick of it. I was waiting for the 11:23 train from Portlaoise this morning and there was absolutely no announcement made about a delay. I know it was on the website but that isn't good enough really is it? There should be signs in the station stating that there will be a delay and the reason why and they should annouce it to people who are waiting for the train. They didn't even announce that they had moved the train to platform 1. I had to figure that out for myself. I assume they had been telling people as they bought their tickets. When are they required to make an announement? Anyway the train left at 12 and got in just before 1pm. Incidently, the 7:24 to Dublin this morning was 15 minutes late again.

I have to get the 21:45 train to Kildare this week and then get collected from there and it was freezing on it last night. No one checked the tickets and no announcements were made not even a ding dong for the stop. I think the 22:45 might have been cancelled because they were asking all intending passengers to come to the customer service desk.

Rant over!

[Mark Gleeson]

22:45 Heuston Kildare is cancelled all this week

[portlaoise_commuter]

Just registered today and It's specifically because of the way that the service from Portlaoise seems to have gotten worse in the past couple of months.....

The 7:15 am to Dublin seems to not run a couple of mornings a week.
The 17:30 home leaves on time and then does a go slow until it gets to kildare, so it's regularly 15-20 minutes late..... and leave it so for yesterday morning!!
10:30 by the time I got to work after arriving in the station at 7am!

I've been commuting a little over a year and for most of it the serivce wasn't too bad....but now it's very seldom that both the journey to work and from work will be even close to on time.

It looks like a long winter ahead!

[Mark Gleeson]

I spoke to the manager responsible for the Heuston services this evening. Most of you walked past him on Monday since he was handing out the refund forms

Its official its the worst week in a long time. We accept the fact trains break down thats life what we can't understand is the total absence of a plan B and more to the point it seems to take ages to accept there is a serious problem and start working a solution

The blame is being laid at the 5:30 Dublin Cork which for reasons unknown is being delayed, what is interesting is its late before it gets to Port Loais a fact we knew but IE didn't seem to have picked up on. Thats the 7:24 out of Port Laois. It appears to be a widescale lack of attention to detail it only takes one late train to cuase a domino effect.

We have a little army watching the new train and we independently from IE are matching up all the failures (our info is better than theres at times) and at this stage if a door goes wrong or a toilet blocks its odds on we will have it since people report in. Irish Rail wont admit it but the number 2 top visitor to this forum is Irish Rail you would be suprised at the coincidental changes that follow a post here

The key game here is to be specific, dates places and times complain in a informed manner giving details that removes any margin IE have to dodge. Post the details here, I think we have posters on nearly every train into Heuston am. Remember to take up the refund option if you are more than 1 hour late, please do it, its going to drive IE mad as they will have to employ a huge amount of resources, it will cost them thousands its the only way they will learn

I'm more than willling to take a trip out on any commuter service out of Heuston as far as Kildare to meet you dreary band of commuters and discuss I've made the trip a few times in recent months I've met a lot of you in Kildare and Newbridge at the various meetings. 1835 is probably the best bet

[CSL]

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't some central control boxes in the UK able to do PA's to stations affected by delays to keep passengers up-to-date ?

[Brian Condron]

Originally Posted by CSL

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't some central control boxes in the UK able to do PA's to stations affected by delays to keep passengers up-to-date ?

There is an automated announcement with the same really annoying woman's voice that keeps you up to date with delays. Only in the bigger stations mind, but it does the job.

Something along the lines of:
"We're sorry but the [17:15 service] to [Manchester Oxford Road] has been delayed by approximately [22 minutes]. [First Transpennine] apologies for any inconvenience this may cause"

Basically the same announcement with the bits in brackets added. Makes you harbour homicidal feelings towards this woman.

[Mark Gleeson]

In theory that system is already inplace

Its all well and good but once you hear 'is delayed by x minutes due to the late arrival of an incoming train' a few times you will give up