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Unread 22-10-2013, 18:37   #1
James Howard
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Default Malahide Shuttle service

Interesting reading - there is something very wrong here. This is incredible that it took 4 years for a private company to get a licence to operate a feeder/shuttle service around Malahide to meet up with the DART.

http://www.malahideshuttle.ie/licence-situation.html

Why is it so difficult to set something like this up when it is an utterly normal arrangement in every other country that has a rail service? You extend the reach and potential customer base of the rail service by running feeder services. The fact that this is expected to stand on its own two feet doesn't bode well for its sustainability. They have had a grant from Irish Rail, but Irish Rail should be subsidising any passengers it delivers to them on an ongoing basis.

It might be a while before we get a feeder bus in Edgeworthstown.
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Unread 22-10-2013, 20:37   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by James Howard View Post
Interesting reading - there is something very wrong here. This is incredible that it took 4 years for a private company to get a licence to operate a feeder/shuttle service around Malahide to meet up with the DART.

http://www.malahideshuttle.ie/licence-situation.html

Why is it so difficult to set something like this up when it is an utterly normal arrangement in every other country that has a rail service? You extend the reach and potential customer base of the rail service by running feeder services. The fact that this is expected to stand on its own two feet doesn't bode well for its sustainability. They have had a grant from Irish Rail, but Irish Rail should be subsidising any passengers it delivers to them on an ongoing basis.

It might be a while before we get a feeder bus in Edgeworthstown.
The point is that there already is a feeder service - the 102, along with direct buses to and from the city (32, 32x, 42 and 142) which cover the entire area served by this route.

I cannot see this lasting for any length of time unless it has through ticketing (bus/rail tickets are already available for the aforementioned routes). Without that people are not going to pay twice.
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Unread 23-10-2013, 02:08   #3
Colm Moore
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http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4936&p=116&n=237
Quote:
Malahide Shuttle Service Launches On Tuesday 29th October
22 October 2013

The long awaited Malahide Shuttle Service will begin operating from Tuesday 29th October with services departing from Seabury Shopping Centre and the Coast Road at Robswall. Services will operate on weekdays and will be timed to meet all peak-time DART departures from Malahide station.

You can check all service times by going to their timetables section.

Malahide Coaches will operate the service and will charge €1.50 per journey.

For more information go to www.malahideshuttle.ie
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Unread 23-10-2013, 07:21   #4
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Originally Posted by Colm Moore View Post
That's not going to last long - €1.50 on top of your train fare.
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Unread 23-10-2013, 08:09   #5
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As a feeder service, it can only be viable if you can buy it as an add-on to the train fare for a euro or less. I agree that €1.50 is too much. But surely Irish Rail could work with Malahide Coaches to split the discount on the grounds that it will be bring them more business.
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Unread 23-10-2013, 09:44   #6
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Irish Rail already offer through ticketing on the 102 bus on the same route and have done for nearly 30 years.

Its time the NTA enforced a must accept leap requirement on all new licences
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Unread 23-10-2013, 10:03   #7
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They need a system where private operators have to accept passes in an area more than a requirement to accept LEAP.

LEAP still imposes a second charge, but if you have a Taxsaver that allows bus travel in an area, the operator should not matter.
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Unread 23-10-2013, 10:33   #8
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Originally Posted by James Howard View Post
As a feeder service, it can only be viable if you can buy it as an add-on to the train fare for a euro or less.
Connolly-Seabury is the same price as Connolly-Malahide, so the 102 provides this service for 'free'.
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Unread 23-10-2013, 12:08   #9
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I understood the railway originally subsidised the feeder bus operations - the 102 is one of the few survivors of the original network. How does the 102 work - is revenue shared in some way ?
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Unread 23-10-2013, 12:43   #10
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Connolly-Seabury is the same price as Connolly-Maalhide, so the 102 provides this service for 'free'.
I'm not sure about that. I'm pretty sure that there is a premium on top of the rail fare.

There were separate fare charts for the DART feeder services (I haven't seen them for a while now) - the 90, 102, 111 and 114 are the remaining routes.

But basically you can buy a single ticket on the bus or at a station for a combined bus/rail journey.

You can also of course use the bus/rail period passes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Inniskeen View Post
I understood the railway originally subsidised the feeder bus operations - the 102 is one of the few survivors of the original network. How does the 102 work - is revenue shared in some way ?
Yes - if a combined bus/rail single ticket is issued then the revenue from that sale is split.

But most people would use the standard Short Hop Bus/Rail pass I would imagine.
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Unread 23-10-2013, 14:32   #11
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I should have added - 102 users can also get the monthly or annual Short Hop Rail and Feeder Bus ticket.
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Unread 24-10-2013, 08:48   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by berneyarms View Post
There were separate fare charts for the DART feeder services (I haven't seen them for a while now) - the 90, 102, 111 and 114 are the remaining routes.
It may be that it is distance related, with Connolly-Malahide and Connolly-Seabury falling into the same band - a shorter train journey and a longer bus journey might have a different result.
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Unread 26-10-2013, 14:39   #13
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Originally Posted by comcor View Post
They need a system where private operators have to accept passes in an area more than a requirement to accept LEAP.
Private operators generally do not receive PSO subsidies and the amount paid by DSP for FTPs is very low so it may not be economically to accept them.

Also AFAIK, DSP are no longer accepting applications for new routes because they had to cut their budget.
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Unread 06-12-2013, 18:29   #14
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Default Changes to timetable and fares:

Towards the end of last month changes to the timetable and fares were made:

Quote:
Schedule changes and new fares


Following a review of the first few weeks of operation, some changes are being made to the schedule from 21 November 2013. Some little-used services are being dropped.


See timetable page for details of the new schedule.


An introductory fare of 10 trips for €10 will be available until Christmas.


A new child's fare of 80c has been introduced.


The initial costs of launching the Shuttle service were funded by a grant from Fingal County Council, a similar contribution from Malahide Credit Union, a grant from Irish Rail and additional funding from Malahide Community Forum.

Malahide Coaches operate the service as a commercial undertaking, without any financial subsidy. To be a success, therefore, it will need to be used by a suffiicient number of passengers to ensure its continuing viability. We hope you will find the website helpful. We would apreciate your feedback.
Source: http://www.malahideshuttle.ie/main-page.html

Last edited by Traincustomer : 06-12-2013 at 18:29. Reason: correction of spelling in title
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Unread 11-12-2013, 19:51   #15
berneyarms
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A further update:

Quote:
From 10 December, all evening services are temporarily discontinued, pending a further review of the timetable.
I think this service is falling the same way that Locolink in South Dublin did - a lack of through ticketing is a huge hindrance.

I don't want to be unduly negative, but I can't see this service lasting.
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Unread 03-01-2014, 21:56   #16
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Default Route 842 (Malahide Shuttle) suspended

Unfortunately the shuttle service has been temporarily suspended.

Quote:
Latest News:

Due to lack of passengers, the Shuttle service has been temporarily suspended.

The service plan and this Website were organised by Malahide Shuttle Project Group, consisting of

Malahide Chamber of Commerce
Malahide Community Forum and
Transportation Department of Fingal County Council,
and
Malahide Coaches Ltd. who provide the Shuttle Service.

Updated 3 January 2014
Source: http://www.malahideshuttle.ie/main-page.html

As a personal view I feel a very strong and commendable effort has been made by all involved.
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Unread 04-01-2014, 14:56   #17
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Commendable???

This service was doomed from the start - there was an existing bus service (32, 42 and 102) covering virtually the entire route, there was no integrated ticketing and a limited service.

The planners could have learnt a lot from the operators of the Locolink service in South Dublin (it linked Stillorgan with Balally LUAS and Ballinteer) which suffered the same fate.

It was a flight of fancy by some people who had preconceived ideas that had no basis in reality.
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Unread 04-01-2014, 20:11   #18
Mark Gleeson
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Agreed it was doomed from the start.

Numerous existing services in the area, some with integrated ticketing, 102 and all others accepting leap card and free travel pass it was never going to work out.

One wonders at how someone signed off on the business plan for this.

Sad reality is this failure is going to make life even more difficult to get potentially viable services off the ground elsewhere. Newbridge would be high on my list as somewhere a feeder bus could work well.
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Unread 04-01-2014, 23:52   #19
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When I said a commendable effort has been made I meant that a fair amount of effort and research seems to have gone into it by the promoters of it (have no connection with them or with the project itself).

That the service didn't work out is down to bigger issues e.g. the integrated ticketing.

The theme of bus services not working out because of macro issues/failings is unfortunately a recurring one. In recent years I've seen several bus services not work out not because of any failing/deficit on the operator/promoters part but because of various issues/failings at a higher level. This is not a random comment but one I can back up with examples/proofs to the Principals of this organisation if needs be.
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Unread 18-01-2014, 17:17   #20
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Further evidence that these guys really got their sums wrong. Only 6 users per day.

http://malahidecommunityforum.ie/

Quote:
Malahide Shuttle

Posted on 6 January 2014 by malahidecommunity


We are sorry to report that the Malahide Shuttle service has been temporarily suspended, due to a very poor response. Over the period of about 8 weeks from the launch of the service up to Christmas, only about 6 people on average used the service each day. This is nowhere near adequate to sustain a commercial service.

Malahide Coaches is examining whether there is an alternative timetable which could be viable. If you have ideas on this, please let us know via the Shuttle website www.malahideshuttle.ie
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