Current status and target completion date for KRP

[stevetee]

Hi,

Can anyone enlighten the panel as to the current status of KRP and when we might reap the benefits of its completion, specifically the oft hinted-at overhaul of the Kildare Route timetable ?

Steve

[Mark Gleeson]

Its complete as of December last year, on time on budge etc.

The current slow outbound track is out of commission for relay and should be back for the 2011 timetable, again as per the plan.

Until new trains arrive, Summer 2011 and the recession starts to lift no more trains, that said reductions in journey times should be coming along soon.

[dowlingm]

Will that mean all four tracks will be newlaid or is that only 3 of 4 done?

[Mark Gleeson]

All 4 will be by start 2011

[stevetee]

...Until new trains arrive, Summer 2011 and the recession starts to lift no more trains, that said reductions in journey times should be coming along soon.

Thanks for info Mark.

Just to clarify on your last para above, IE have new trains ordered specifically for the KRP but cant commission them due the recession or cant order new trains, or by "new" do you mean new services ?

Ive said this before in some of my Monasterevan postings the recession is now being used as an excuse not to do the right thing by their customers. We felt this especially in Monasterevin when a small number of timetable changes promised end of 2009 were shelved due to "the recession" which started in 2008.

Going by current forecasts, this recession we're in wont lift for 10 years so Id encourage other rail user groups and rail users _not_ to take the recession as an excuse for crap service. I'm sure Mark would back me up on that point :)

Steve

[Colm Moore]

Just to clarify on your last para above, IE have new trains ordered specifically for the KRP but cant commission them due the recession or cant order new trains, or by "new" do you mean new services ?There are 51(?) more 22000-class carriages to come designed for outer suburban services (Probably no luggage racks, but extra seats) and the 6 replacements for the ones that were damaged in transit (intercity pattern). They need to be commissioned and then, separately Irish Rail will need to justify to themselves putting on extra services.

Some of them will need to be commissioned even if no new services are provided as there is currently too few in reserve.

[Mark Gleeson]

There are 57 coaches due next Summer, they should all be available for service by end 2011.

Obviously some of them will be simply filling the gaps at the moment as there is a shortage of trains some clearly will be deployed to provide more trains.

Certainly be seeing faster services in the next year, but recession or no recession, if they ain't no trains you can't expand the service. The trains were specifically ordered for long distance commuter services

[dowlingm]

I'm just afraid that IE will find a way to "lose" the 2600s as the commuter 22s arrive.

[Fergal]

Can you give an estimate of exactly what journey times we should expect?

[Mark Gleeson]

All services except Kildare local services into/out of Heuston will see at least 5 minute reduction

[Kilocharlie]

There are 51(?) more 22000-class carriages to come designed for outer suburban services (Probably no luggage racks, but extra seats) and the 6 replacements for the ones that were damaged in transit (intercity pattern).

Remember the 6 6-car high capacity, no premier or galley, units ordered for long distance commuter services for Portlaoise/Carlow etc? These never made it to these services but are used on long distance routes.

Don't see why the extra 51 should be any different from the existing 3-car sets. Introducing a variant only complicates deployment. Anyway luggage racks are used on commuter service mostly for fold-up bikes. Removing them would a retrograde step.

[Mark Gleeson]

The 51 coaches on order are identical to the existing fleet in all aspects

[bg07]

When is the 4th track due to be commissioned? Must be nearly there.

[Mark Gleeson]

The 4 track was commissioned on December 6th 2009. Between December 2009 and late spring 2010 all 4 tracks were in daily use.

The relay of track 2 (down slow) is currently underway and will complete in January 2011

Speed limit on the relayed down fast has been increased to 100mph from its original 90mph, all trains allocated to the fast line are capable of 100mph

[Mickey H]

The relay of track 2 (down slow) is currently underway and will complete in January 2011

Has it now re-opened?

[Kilocharlie]

Has it now re-opened?

Down slow re-opened last week.

Stage is now set for the new timetable in which a few of the local outbound trains will be overtaken - but not, for some strange reason the 17:15 to Newbridge by the 17:25 to Limerick.

[Mark Gleeson]

If you look at the timetabling the 17:15 if overtaken would delay the 17:35 to Waterford

[Kilocharlie]

The 17:25 is delayed by the 17:15 by 10-12 minutes; it has a running time of 41 mins to Kildare a journey that can be done in 30. It crawls all the way to Newbridge.

If it left at 17:20, then there should be no issue with the 17:35. But then I suspect it would arrive too early at Limerick Jct and conflict with a Limerick-LJ service.

[finnyus]

Another weird overtaking is :

06:30 Limerick - Dublin Heuston
06:15 Cork - Dublin Heuston


All going well, the Limerick train arrives into Thurles as the Cork train arrives into Limerick Junction, time-wise that is about 20 minutes apart.

I have not been on either train, but I presume the Limerick takes the UP-slow @ Hazelhatch and the Cork overtakes on the UP-fast.

Is the Cork train trailing the Limerick train before Hazelhatch? Is there a need for it to be overtaken?