2019 Train performance

[ACustomer]

Looking at the IE homepage twitter feed there seems to be almost daily cancellations of scheduled DARTS (usually a North/Southbound plus the returning South/Northbound working). Invariably this is due to "operational reasons", which covers a multitude of possibilities. Crew shortages?

Looking at train performance data, there appears to have been a steady deterioration in punctuality month by month from January to March. Is the new timetable putting such demands on rolling stock that maintenance and reliability are slipping?

[Jamie2k9]

DART is driver issues.

[berneyarms]

Looking at the IE homepage twitter feed there seems to be almost daily cancellations of scheduled DARTS (usually a North/Southbound plus the returning South/Northbound working). Invariably this is due to "operational reasons", which covers a multitude of possibilities. Crew shortages?

Looking at train performance data, there appears to have been a steady deterioration in punctuality month by month from January to March. Is the new timetable putting such demands on rolling stock that maintenance and reliability are slipping?

Unless I am misreading things, DART punctuality dropped in February but rose back up in March so I’m not sure where you’re getting the basis of your “steady deterioration in punctuality”?

Jan 93.3%
Feb 90.4%
Mar 95.1%

All of which are ahead of 2018.

[ACustomer]

Berneyarms: I should have made it clearer that my second paragraph was intended to refer to all services, not just DART: For example the successive monthly punctuality (Jan-March 2019) for Dublin-Cork was 95.3, 85.2, 83.4; Dublin-Galway was 96.8, 90.6, 89.6; Dublin-Westport was 95.9, 92.5, 88.8.

Of course this was not consistently the case for all (sometimes relatively minor) routes, but even the 3 cases quoted are significant, especially as you might expect worse figures for a mid-winter month such as January.

[Jamie2k9]

Berneyarms: I should have made it clearer that my second paragraph was intended to refer to all services, not just DART: For example the successive monthly punctuality (Jan-March 2019) for Dublin-Cork was 95.3, 85.2, 83.4; Dublin-Galway was 96.8, 90.6, 89.6; Dublin-Westport was 95.9, 92.5, 88.8.

Of course this was not consistently the case for all (sometimes relatively minor) routes, but even the 3 cases quoted are significant, especially as you might expect worse figures for a mid-winter month such as January.

I know there was a lot of engineering works on Cork route however dipping to 83% when there is a 10 minute leeway plus an extra 5 minutes in schedule. 15 minutes and coming out with results like that needs urgent action.

There was at least 3-5 days of heavy disruption around Sallins and Kildare. Additionally on GalwayWestport there was I think two freight train failures and as well as an incident.

[ACustomer]

Jamie2k9: I don't quite buy the extensive engineering works excuse/explanation. These works mean that there are revised timetables to take account of them: failure to meet revised schedules is not really acceptable.

There are approximately 900 Cork-Dublin and Dublin-Cork intercity trains per month. A 12 percentage point deterioration in punctuality means about 100 extra trains being late. IE have a case to answer here.

[Jamie2k9]

Jamie2k9: I don't quite buy the extensive engineering works excuse/explanation. These works mean that there are revised timetables to take account of them: failure to meet revised schedules is not really acceptable.

There are approximately 900 Cork-Dublin and Dublin-Cork intercity trains per month. A 12 percentage point deterioration in punctuality means about 100 extra trains being late. IE have a case to answer here.

Remember after engineering works there is usually a temporary speed restriction for 4-7 days in many cases.

There are currently 4 TSR on Heuston-Cork, 2 on Cork-Heuston and they have been on rolling basis (different areas) for a few weeks now. Westport/Galway have had the same in recent weeks.

You are correct the performance is particularly bad and yes something needs to be done to address it.