Lets all go to platform 3

[Mark Gleeson]

Its starting to become a joke in Dun Laoghaire

So after finally getting Irish Rail to admit the timetable was impossible they now get the 7:37 from Malahide to Dun Laoghaire to leave at 7:40. It of course arrives Dun Laoghaire at the same time as before, just of course under the 5 minute delay window

Staff in Dun Laoghaire of course frequently fail to notice that the 8:37 starting from platform 3 will be held to let the 8:44 train on platform 1 through first. By the time you notice the signal going green its too late to swap platforms

So this morning, it looked like the 8:44 would get out first, but everyone is directed to platform 3, sure enough 8:44 rolls in and out on platform 1, normally thats ok since the 8:37 will follow on the heels of the 8:44. But then we are told the train we are on is stuck due a points failure so we have to change for the 8:59.

Not the first time, bad coordination and communication.

[shweeney]

on a similar topic - why is so difficult to get from P3 to P1 - they're effectively the same platform but it's pointlessly fenced off between them, and where there is a gate in the middle, its always locked. Why Irish Rail, why!?

[Mark Gleeson]

P3 to P1 require a hike via the booking office and two flights of stairs

[Mark Gleeson]

Repeat experience this morning, lots of folks standing on platform 3, no announcement that the next train will be off platform 1

[Alan French]

That's right - there was no public announcement. I managed to catch the 08.44 from platform 1 because I was watching the signals from the bridge. I overhead a staff member directing another passenger, but there was no announcement.

[Mark Gleeson]

This week has been fun

Mon/Tues was fine as normal platform 3

Wednesday everyone is told to go to platform 1, sure enough the train rolls into platform 3, but its so late that it doesn't matter and the 8:44 arrives on platform 1 at the same time

Thursday everyone is told to go to platform 1, finally it works and a train does leave for Connolly

Friday everyone is heading to platform 3, I make inquiries given the delays after the breakdown at Tara Street at 8pm and all of sudden its off to platform 1 again.

[Mark Gleeson]

After a reasonable run they made a balls of it again in Dun Laoghaire

As usual the 8:37 train is sitting ready waiting in platform 3 for the 7:45 from Howth to Bray to arrive so it can leave. 8:38 it arrives but the 8:37 doesn't move.

The usual next train platform 3 pa announcements is absent which usually indicates something is wrong

I see a yellow reflection in the window, the signal on platform 1 has cleared automatically to yellow at 8:41 as the 8:25 from Bray approaches, 8:37 train is being held for the 8:25 train to pass it out. Fairly common normally occurs when the points give trouble.

I swap to platform 1, signal goes green. Excellent right call 8:25 train will go first. Then the signal goes back to red, WTF

So at 8:44 we now have a DART in both platform 1 and 3 each at red signals. At 8:46 the 8:37 rolls out, 8:48:30 the 8:25 rolls out

A whole stack of bad management


No pa announcements about the 8:37 as normal

The signalman failed to let the 8:37 train out into its usual slot

The signalman failed to disable auto routing at platform 1 which resulted in the 8:25 blocking the 8:37 in

The signalman committed the ultimate no no of returning a signal to red in the face of a moving train

Replacing a signal to red starts a timer to prevent another conflicting route being set, so the 8:37 was held for 90 seconds so reality is the 8:44 could have been allowed to run as normal without delay and the 8:37 follow 2 minutes behind, net delay 10 minutes total. Actual delay incurred 15 minutes and effected 3 times more people.

[Alan French]

The same problem is occurring again. On Thursday 11th, the 08.37 left before the 08.44, both several minutes late, and the station staff had no idea which was to leave first.

I have never seen the "turn-round" happen so quickly! The terminating train arrived at platform 3, so I knew it would be a few minutes before it could leave. Then suddenly, the signal at platform 3 turned green. So I moved towards platform 3. I was still on the ramp, squeezing through the crowds who had just alighted, when the train departed. It couldn't have been more than 2 minutes after its arrival.

[Mark Gleeson]

This morning brought the situation to a new low

The PA is made for P3, we all dive down to the platform, after 5 minutes a pa is made from Connolly to go to platform 1 and that the train was going to be non stop Dun Laoghaire - Sydney Parade

Sure enough the train rolls into P1 and takes off only for the driver to slowly accelerate to 100kph and then brake heavily at Blackrock, the stop in Sydney Parade was noticeable longer than usual.

No PA to apologize and of course skipping several stations got the train into Connolly less than 5 minutes late

[Thomas Ralph]

That just makes it a cancellation instead of a late.

[Mark Gleeson]

But in Irish Rail eyes that is not a cancellation, as the train ran as planned, of course the plan was only communicated minutes before the train left.

That said it was fun to cruise at 105kph for 2 km

[Thomas Ralph]

If the train skips stops then surely that means it didn't run "as planned"?

[Mickey H]

That said it was fun to cruise at 105kph for 2 km

That is above permitted train and line speed, was the ATP not working?

[Mark Gleeson]

107kph is the trip point. ATP was fully functional and nailed us leaving DL. I've never been that fast on a DART as I was this morning, the train was under power the whole way, when we braked down to 50kph the difference was amazing

We definitely were above 100kph, I travel the line regularly on non stop trains. I've checked back and the speed between Salthill and Blackrock was an average of 98-105kph allowing for inaccuracies, bear in mind the train braked before Blackrock

That said it was within the limits and tolerances, train in question has a design speed of 110kph