More coach services between Wexford and Dublin:
 

Two extra round trips being provided by Wexford Bus for the summer months in their new timetable commencing next Monday.

Also a new stop at Cherrywood / Wyattville Rd allowing interchange with LUAS Green line.

Home page plus: http://wexfordbus.com/timetables/wexford-dublin-city/

The corridor seems saturated with coaches - meanwhile rail remains in the low frequency thus (relatively) low usage vicious circle...

Most of the buses are carrying air around. Bus Eireann went hourly to try to beat Wexford bus

Incidentally Wexford Bus now take leap cards

Its crazy that Dublin Wexford actually has a better bus service that either Dublin Belfast or Dublin Cork

But isn't that because the bus service to Cork can't compete with the train for time, frequency or quality, while the service to Belfast makes it difficult for the bus to compete.

On the other hand, the service to Wexford is slow, infrequent and in glorified commuter rail stock with no trolley service, never mind dining car. The bus beats it on time and doesn't exactly lose out on quality.

In the private sector Wexford Bus seem to be one of just a handful of operators who piloted the Leapcard.

There is a trolley service.

Bus Eireann normal time Rosslare - Dublin is 3-3:40, train is 2:45-3:00

Wexford bus takes around 2:20. It's only 130km from Dublin to Wexford. I wouldn't go on anything that Bus Eireann do. Last time I used them on the Dublin-Wexford route, they made me change in Enniscorthy.

I've used that rail service three times in the last year and not once has there been a trolley. That's been the 16:36 once and the 17:36 twice. All were operated by commuter railcars, not 22Ks.

Commuter services don't have trolleys

16:36 and 17:36 are to move to ICR operation, I've had an ICR on the 17:36

Good to hear that ICRs are to be deployed on those journeys.

Rosslare train timings have scope to be reduced by a few minutes.

Wexford Bus are great, if I lived any further south I would definitely switch to them. They are considerably faster than the train, plus free wi-fi and late services.

I took Aircoach Dublin-Cork at 07:00 on Thursday morning. Departed Westmoreland Street at 0702, arrived St. Patrick's Quay, Cork at about 10:12. Might have been quicker if driver knew the route - several bad lane choices - he nearly went via Ballyfermot and did go via the Fonthill exit on the N4 only to double back - added about 3.1km.

"5 minute" break at Urlingford turned into 7 minutes as the driver was late back with his coffee. :) Leather seats OK, but the headrest was good.

€15 single on the day. Only 4 passengers.

Overall, cheaper (on the day), more flexible, but slower and fewer facilities than the train. Faster than Bus Éireann.

Good news but the 13:36 to Rosslare is often a commuter train still.
It's 2012, surely there must be enough 22ks for all rosslare services now ???

all the 22k's that we are getting are here apparently, certainly on the connolly side, so i would expect the 29's to be doing their final departure soon enough. that said it took ages for Sligo to be rid of them.

Good. Hopefully they'll be gone real soon. We need consistency in 22k operation on the Wexford line.

Also, if/when the 16:36 and 17:36 are 22ks Irish Rail need to seriously consider 6 coach operation. The problems with some platform lenghts need to be overcome. Fast!

As a regular on the 17:36 capacity isn't a major issue, an ICR has slightly more seats than a 29k and much better luggage space. You might have to stand to Dun Laoghaire if you board at Pearse but from there on shouldn't be a problem

Yes sadly usage of the Rosslare line services has plummetted in recent years to the extent that loadings rarely signifigantly challenge a 3-piece ICR set.

Still I am sure Irish Rail are working on plans to increase frequency and reduce journey times !

I remember the days of 4 coach cravens on the 17:30 as it was and that didn't look unreasonable for the demand

If I recall, this service was normally formed of six cravens but shrunk to four on a Friday. In the past this service would have standing passengers leaving Greystones. From what I can see the aggregate usage south of Greystones on the current three evening services would barely fill six cravens.

The deployment of unsuitable commuter stock from summer 2004 onwards going all the way to Rosslare wouldn't have helped numbers. I bet Irish Rail thought this would have just because they were "newer trains". If anything, passenger numbers have probably dwindled since.

I remember when they retired the Mark 2s from the Sligo line and Irish Rail were promoting the 29ks as a benefit to passengers. Of course they are anything but if you have to spend more than 45 minutes on one.

They are noisy, the seats are narrow and cramped, they have no space to work and are draughty when the doors are left open on the longer stops required for crossings. They are commuter trains and work much better on short journeys. Irish Rail should not be using them for intercity runs and they never should have. The Mark 2s were far superior as are the 22ks.

What is it with this country and our insistence that we can come up with "better" ways of doing things that break established international norms? This is the same as our motorways which were built with no crash barriers or service areas thus ignoring 50 years of learned experience.

Wasn't his mostly the local politicians who didn't want "old" trains?

That would be the answer to my question as to how this country keeps coming up with "better" solutions that don't work. We have have too many politicians pulling strokes for anybody who has the neck to ask them for them.

Hence we end up with trains leaving branch lines with 4 passengers, thousands of houses build in the middle of swamps 100 miles from the nearest job and tolled motorways where there isn't enough traffic to pay the toll collectors.

so the three remaining unaccepted sets (59/60/61) are likely to stay Heuston-side when their cheque clears, and we should stop looking out to sea for 10/11?

i would imagine so. 10/11, i think that 60/61 is in effect their replacement, but i could be wrong.

Dont see how sets 60 and 61 could be a replacement for 10 and 11 unless Irish Rail have negotiated a reduction in the order.

The most recent order was for 17 3-car sets (effectively sets 47 to 63 inclusive, all of which have now been delivered). These additional units were supposedly for longer distance suburban services - preseumeably Portlaoise, Longford, Gorey, Carlow, Athlone, Dundalk. So far there is only one ICR working from Dundalk while the south eastern and Longford outer suburban services are still typically worked by 29ks. So there would seem to be a defic on the Connolly side rather that the Heuston side.

The obvious strategy would see the northern line ICR allocation used to provide express commuter services from Drogheda/Dundalk and Newry thus relieving the inner suburban services, attracting new passengers and leveraging some benefit from the 90 mph line limit.

Similarly I would expect that some effort should be made to separate Longford/Mullingar traffic from Maynooth traffic again to impove the overall product offering.

Have read on a number of sites that it will be around December before the replacment sets are dilevered. They should still be numbered 10 and 11.

I kinda wish they would have negotiated a change - like a 6 car First with TPWS to replace the 2 x 3. Eventually the DDs are going to have to be overhauled and the C3Ks and econ/TPWS 22s are a poor substitute. Given that it would have only two driving cabs instead of four it might have even been cheaper for Rotem to make!

The contract is fixed, any variance is a cost.

The entire fleet is still wired to allow future installation of TPWS, the gap is there in the fuse board and the slot on the drivers console is plated over.

They have 4 sets of 7 coaches and currently 3 sets are only being used, they used to be 3 sets of 8 coaches but were reduced a few years ago which has allowed a full fourth set to be formed. (used for testing EGV recently)

If an overhaul was required it could still be done without affecting passenger services but would take longer. If wiki is correct they entred service in 1997 and IR say a full overhaul is required every 15 years which would mean its due this year for Belfast fleet.

i said i could be wrong, i dont see the need for smart-arsery.

61 has been seen on trial runs so presumably it (and possibly another, IE seeming to mostly add 22s in pairs the last few months) will be in service soon.

Don't see what your problem is to be honest. I still don't know why two randomly selected sets (60 and 61) out of 17 new sets (47 to 63) could be deemed a replacement for sets 10 and 11. You were speculating (which is fair enough), I was merely questioning your conclusion.

If you know sets 60 and 61 replace 10 and 11, fair enough, if not I don't think it is unreasonable to point out that what you are suggesting isn't particularly logical.

Sorry if I upset you.

I personally don't care what number is on the front it doesn't matter

Rotem under contract had to build two replacement units due the damage during shipping.

The fleet will be 234 in size when complete.

And yes Irish Rail do get some financial benefit from the late delivery

Can't say I am too pushed either although the numbers do give a clue to whats happening !