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-   -   Intercity journey experiences (http://www.railusers.ie/forum/showthread.php?t=193)

Colm Moore 29-12-2011 16:32

Poor connection from the Wi-Fi to the internet from Portlaoise to Portarlington.

Very rough ride east of Portarlington.

Colm Moore 29-12-2011 19:43

Arrived at 17:09, at platform 7, about 11 minutes early. There seemed to have been some faffing about between Cherry Orchard and Heuston, so we could have arrived a few minutes earlier.

Not a lot of luggage trolleys (the hazards of getting books as Christmas presents), with me taking the last from the rack at the concourse end of the platform - having a second rack would be useful. Removing the trolley was modestly problematic - it claimed to take 50c or €1 coins, but only the 50c worked. I couldn't find a trolley rack at the front entrance, so I just abandoned it (considerately), forgetting that I didn't get my 50c back! :)

Positives:
* On time / early.
* I got a seat.
* Two opportunities to use the snack trolley, pleasant cashier.
* Wi-Fi for most of the trip

Negatives:
* €37 single is three times the Bus Éireann fare.
* We seem to have left early.
* 'Yoofs' stealing (temporarily) my sandwich and occupying my seat, but they got off at Mallow.
* Some football fans were modestly boisterous, but such is human nature.
* Vibration, lurching and track noise excessive at times. Wobble not so bad.
* Cold when the doors were open. This was worst at Limerick Junction due to the open platforms.
* While there was a RailGourmet cleaner on board, the saloon are was quite messy when we got to Heuston.
* Announcements do need to be rationalised.

Sasha 30-12-2011 17:28

Train host might have more time for better saloon cleaning that Railgourmet staff. This is absolute joke that serving food person has to pick up litter

Charlie Hungerford 31-12-2011 08:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colm Moore (Post 65587)
* Vibration, lurching and track noise excessive at times. Wobble not so bad.

I had a similar experience recently on the Enterprise. The ride was smooth throughout the North but when we crossed the border all sorts of vibration and lurching began. I think it's an issue with Irish Rail's track maintenance standards or something.

Colm Moore 31-12-2011 13:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlie Hungerford (Post 65609)
I had a similar experience recently on the Enterprise. The ride was smooth throughout the North but when we crossed the border all sorts of vibration and lurching began. I think it's an issue with Irish Rail's track maintenance standards or something.

In that case, I think a lot of it is down to speed - service speeds in the north are much slower.

Inniskeen 31-12-2011 13:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colm Moore (Post 65611)
In that case, I think a lot of it is down to speed - service speeds in the north are much slower.

General track condition in NI is at least as good as Irish Rail, apart from the Larne line east of Whitehead and the Derry/Londonderry line, west of Coleraine. On the whole both under and over bridges tend to have been more recently renewed, often for a higher axle-loading than on Irish Rail.

As for the riding of the Enterprise coaches, crossing the border is immediately obvious, especially in the southbound direction when most trains are travelling at 90mph. I think the issue is not so much the condition of the the track as the profile of the rail head which in the Republic follows a German standard while NIR follow a British standard.

Charlie Hungerford 31-12-2011 16:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colm Moore (Post 65611)
In that case, I think a lot of it is down to speed - service speeds in the north are much slower.

Not to any great extent - in fact, for most journeys, NIR's train services are quicker than road, which is something that Irish Rail cannot boast.

markpb 02-01-2012 15:09

I'm on the 3pm Manulla to Heuston. None of the external displays (except the front) are working so no one knows which car their seats are reserved in. The overhead displays are off in my car and there's nothing on the end if car internal display (yet).

Also, I bought the last two online tickets for this train but most of it is extremely quiet (so far). There's definitely scope for allowing for seats to be sold online, even without seat reservations.

Edit: €1.60 for a can of coke! WTF.

Edit: power socket is dead and no sign of any IR staff (I walked the length of the train in search of one.)

Edit: there were no verbal announcements until Athlone. Internal displays havent showed anything but the carriage letter and distance to the next stop (which has been over 180km the entire time).

Colm Moore 02-01-2012 15:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by markpb (Post 65625)
None of the external displays

That reminds me of the Mark 4s the other day. The displays are set quite high and have a large frame, making it difficult to make out the full height of the text, e.g. it is difficult to distinguish "Carriage E" from "Carriage F" because you can't see the bottom line of the dot matrix display.

Thomas Ralph 02-01-2012 20:26

I had a rather wearisome trip to Cork on the 2100 last Friday. Rattling glass panels between seats 15/16 and 7/8 and the opposite side made it impossible to sleep.

Sasha 03-01-2012 10:55

Markpb, onboard prices here, in Ireland, are lower or similar of those in European trains, in Scandinavian countries prices even more expensive. In German, Austrian, French trains can of coke would cost you around 2 euros.

markpb 03-01-2012 11:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sasha (Post 65647)
Markpb, onboard prices here, in Ireland, are lower or similar of those in European trains, in Scandinavian countries prices even more expensive. In German, Austrian, French trains can of coke would cost you around 2 euros.

Perhaps that's true but it doesn't make it any less of a rip off. That's the last time I'm buying food on board.

Jamie2k9 18-04-2012 22:28

Have traveled between Dublin-Cork a lot over the last few weeks. The line between Mallow-Cork it seems to be heavly speed restricted and the train shakes and moves a lot. Are they any plans to replace the track to increase speed? Once you leave Mallow the journey is great apart from the 10 min crawl into Limerick J waiting for the Cork bound train to pass.

On Sunday the 19.30 arrived in Heuston 16 minutes early.

joey 23-08-2013 13:21

Feet On Seats
 
How much more can be done to ensure passengers refrain from putting their feet on seats?

Yes there is a clear message text on the information screen on the 22Ks but would it not be an idea to update the announcer of stations etc, to include the statement, passengers are asked not to put their feet on seats - just like do not occupy pre-booked seats, although that is not adhered to either.

Luggage also, train jam packed people have the bags and belongings on seats which will not allow passengers to sit...

:mad:

James Howard 23-08-2013 14:09

The utility of the station information announcement is lost if they jam it up with loads of rules in addition to the needed information. As it is is overly long with two languages, please do not occupy seats and courtesy messages.

My pet hate is chewing-gum under the tables or on the seats. Once or twice a year I end up with chewing-gum on my bag or trousers after it gets melted by my laptop power supply. Considerably more bothersome than a bit of dirt left on a seat by shoes.

But people in general know that they shouldn't put bags on seats or tables, feet on seats, chewing gum under tables, play music on their phones, shout, dance on tables, smoke in the toilets, etc. It isn't lack of knowledge that is the problem, it is simple lack of concern for others and no amount of announcements will do anything about that. The only thing that will make a difference is to have people go about enforcing the rules with fines if necessary.

Jamie2k9 23-08-2013 22:22

Quote:

How much more can be done to ensure passengers refrain from putting their feet on seats?

Yes there is a clear message text on the information screen on the 22Ks but would it not be an idea to update the announcer of stations etc, to include the statement, passengers are asked not to put their feet on seats - just like do not occupy pre-booked seats, although that is not adhered to either.

Luggage also, train jam packed people have the bags and belongings on seats which will not allow passengers to sit...

No no no, the PA system never shuts up as it is. Adding more to it will turn people off the train, I have learned more Irish by traveling with Irish Rail than my 12 years in school!

Also with passengers bags on seats, God gave use mouths for a reason....

BTW I like to seek these people out and sit beside them just to annoy them.

joey 23-09-2013 07:44

''please do not put feet on seats'' announced now on the 22Ks -

Kilocharlie 23-09-2013 12:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by joey (Post 72421)
''please do not put feet on seats'' announced now on the 22Ks -

And a 'please mind the gap'

James Howard 23-09-2013 12:43

My noise-cancelling headphones just get more and more indispensable.

karlr42 23-09-2013 15:29

More seriously, there is a bug in the announcements on the 22ks on the M3 Parkway route. The Irish for Hansfield is instead a horrible, ear piercing electronic noise. i.e it goes "This is the xx:xx train to M3 Parkway, serving ... Caislean Cnucha, Cuil Mhin, Cluain Sailleach, bzZZZZZZZZZZZztssshZTtttt, Dun Buinee..."

Jamie2k9 23-09-2013 17:53

Quote:

And a 'please mind the gap'
This is an absolute joke, its louder than "we will be arriving at X". Whoever decided to add this should be given there P45. Its as bad as Thank you for traveling with IE.

Mark Gleeson 23-09-2013 20:21

Mandatory safety announcement required by the RSC at platforms which are sub standard

If you think its bad try it in German and English in Berlin, where it is "please mind the gap between platform and train",

Jamie2k9 23-09-2013 22:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson (Post 72443)
Mandatory safety announcement required by the RSC at platforms which are sub standard

If you think its bad try it in German and English in Berlin, where it is "please mind the gap between platform and train",

Have the RSC not cared about this message over the last 6 years?

On the 22's to Cork they have Please mind the gap added while they already had Please mind the gap between train and platform.

My biggest problem is the PA system is way to load, I know there is reasons such as blind people but its way above what you hear on European trains. The "Thank you for traveling with IE" needs to be taken out as its not needed and passenger who have to listen to this automated crap the whole journey won't be thanking IE at all. It needs to be turned down a lot.

I just thankful that they removed This is the x train from x to y on the Waterford route, did a trip to Galway and the pa was just non stop and it will be a long time before I use the train.

Kilocharlie 24-09-2013 22:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson (Post 72443)
Mandatory safety announcement required by the RSC at platforms which are sub standard

If you think its bad try it in German and English in Berlin, where it is "please mind the gap between platform and train",

It's announced at every station between Kildare and Heuston including those which have straight platforms and were recently modernised or even recently built! Even Heuston! So by implicat5ion every station is sub-standard or maybe it's just easier to do it every station rather than those with curved platforms.

The Irish version has the 'seachan an bhearna' embedded between the station name and 'go luath'.

Jamie2k9 26-09-2013 22:03

I'm told they have not added this to the Mark'4. What about the Belfast route, weather its automatic or not, if the RSC were so serous about safety why not have it announced on trains. Seems to me RSC are selective on there safety enforcement or IE are not listening to them!

neoncircles 27-09-2013 16:00

Automatic announcements never working on the enterprise, and when they do they're not in Irish. They're very simple though "We're now approaching Newry" etc, nothing about gaps or seats or thank you etc!

berneyarms 27-09-2013 18:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9 (Post 72479)
I'm told they have not added this to the Mark'4. What about the Belfast route, weather its automatic or not, if the RSC were so serous about safety why not have it announced on trains. Seems to me RSC are selective on there safety enforcement or IE are not listening to them!

I suspect that they are doing the ICR fleet first and will update the Mk4 sets later. I seriously doubt that they're just doing one single fleet type.

I believe that this an IE initiative rather than being pushed by the RSC.

Jamie2k9 27-09-2013 23:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by berneyarms (Post 72483)
I suspect that they are doing the ICR fleet first and will update the Mk4 sets later. I seriously doubt that they're just doing one single fleet type.

I believe that this an IE initiative rather than being pushed by the RSC.

Its being a few weeks since it started and its just a case of updating the train ID. Noting major. If its from with IE somebody had little to do with time other than come up with ways to irritate passengers even further, yet for trains arriving on the most dangerous platforms on the network (Connolly, 5,6,7) you can hardly hear the PA system on most of the commuter/DART fleet.

Do the maths on 99% of platforms where its next to impossible to fall between the train and platform passengers have to listen to this nonsense but on the most dangerous platforms you can't hear it half the time.

Good to see IE staff have priorities in order. Just when you think you have seen it all with IE they always manage to pull some other daft things out of the bag!

While we are also on about passenger safety, there has being some significant overcrowding on some Cork services only the last day or so where passengers were standing for 90+ minutes. Soon the PA systems will be saying "Hold on tight, brace yourselves, uncomfortable journey ahead for some but most of all thank you for paying high fares for traveling with Iarnrod Eireann".

Just where do you draw the line, any more bits added and we will have full PA blown conversation on Intercity routes.

Quote:

Automatic announcements never working on the enterprise, and when they do they're not in Irish. They're very simple though "We're now approaching Newry" etc, nothing about gaps or seats or thank you etc!
Exactly my point.


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