Booking on Cork-Dublin - direction of seat?

[MrX]

I am just wondering when looking at the diagrams on the Irish Rail seat booking service which way the train's actually facing.

Diagram is as follows :

<"engine">-[----a----][----b----][----c----] .......

I have booked assuming that "Engine" = the actual locomotive and ended up facing the wrong way around.

Any suggestions ?

I'm assuming Coach A is at the end of the train on the way to Cork and at the front of the train on the way to Dublin ?

[Mark Gleeson]

To the right is Dublin to the left is everywhere else no matter what train you are in and which direction it is going

Coach letters are fixed

I'm serious, for reference on a Mk4 seat 33 faces Dublin and is a window seat

No occasion a coach might be the wrong way around rare but happens

[Thomas J Stamp]

If you're going from Heuston the engine is always at the far end, coach A up there as well.

So everywhere else engine is at the Dublin end, but coach A is at the back.

Voila.

[Mark Gleeson]

Which coach is which depends on the train type

But A is where first is, if there is first
B is the catering if a dining car is provided

Generally A is away from Heuston except Dublin Cork where A is at the Dublin end

[ACustomer]

The IE screen shows a pointy "engine" (DVT?) on the left, and next to it is coach "A" whihc is the 1st class. On MK 4s these 2 vehicles are at the Dublin end. So it's Dublin to the left and everywhere else to the right.

However on Mk 3s the 1st class is (or was) at the Cork end, and I don't know how the reservation displayed this, or if they ever used a diagram for the MK 3s.

[Mark Gleeson]

Its always Dublin to the right no matter which way around

Seat 1 in a Mk3 and a Mk4 is at the Cork end and works to the right, eg the half first/half second coach has first at the Cork end i.e to the left

The wheelchair space on a Mk4 is at the Dublin end beyond seat 69 which is to the right

[Thomas J Stamp]

This is doing my head in.

[Mark Gleeson]

Its actually simple

Right is Dublin Left everywhere else

No need to get into complex anaylsis

[Thomas J Stamp]

This is only on the booking screen yes, not real life, like standing gazing at the train?

[ACustomer]

Sorry, but I've just looked at the screen again and seat 1 is on the left of the 1st class carriage diagram, and the "engine" (Dublin-end DVT Mk IV I presume) is also on the left.

Or maybe I'm having a dizzy spell.

[Mark Gleeson]

First class seat 01 is away from Dublin the online graphic is not accurate

I don't see the problem its consistent left is away from Dublin, right is to Dublin from that you can pick a seat facing which ever way you wish

[MrX]

It'd be nice if they could add a

Direction of travel ----> indicator to the site :)

[ACustomer]

"First class seat 01 is away from Dublin the online graphic is not accurate"

Seat 01 is on the Left. So from the above it seems that while the little diagram on the booking page with the "engine" and 3 carriages has Dublin on the left, the carriage diagram on which one clicks to reserve a specific seat has Dublin on the right.

Only on CIE!