[Ongoing - March 2010] Belfast-Dublin security alert
 

http://twitter.com/irishrail/http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=675

Irish Rail seem to need a geography lesson

You can add that to the spelling lesson, the grammar lesson, the syntax lesson, and many more.....

So magically Irish Rail have realised that Portadown is not between Newry and Dundalk

update
 

.

Crew in Belfast as always have a more detailed take on the situation

Second alert

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=675

http://twitter.com/irishrail/

http://www.translink.co.uk/latesttra...p#story_179820

Direct and complete quote form IE Website: "Security alert between Newry and Dundalk still ong by Press Office
this is due to a secur "

Do they ever check what they post up? Or do they really need those spelling and grammar lessons?

Unbelievable!

One cleared, one on-going
 

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=677 http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=676

Any word on when this will be opened again? Hoping to go back down tomorrow afternoon.

Came home on the 19:00 ex Connolly yesterday, despite the disruption. It was a tale of three parts really -

Connolly
- staff very friendly and helpful - yes, I was surprised. Advised me not to get a through ticket to Lurgan because I would miss the connection, which I hadn't considered. Was reminded of disruption again by ticket checker at P2

On train, at Dundalk, on bus
- absolutely no information on the train
- no counting of passengers at all, never mind by destination
- no announcement when we arrived in Dundalk. Some people (tourists?) stayed on the train.
- no staff on platform and no one directing pax to buses
- three buses, which just about fit the number of passengers (every seat filled on Newry bus, including fold-down seat beside driver)
- no indication which bus was going where - everyone was asking each other - driver also failed to announce where he was going...
- driver had to be directed to Newry station by passenger

Newry, second train and Portadown
- staff in Newry were fantastic and the train left extremely promptly after arrival of the bus.
- Conductor on the train was fantastic - v friendly, explained what was happening, and that there would be local connections in Portadown
- Staff in Portadown good as usual and afaik had held a local train for connections (so I could have got that through ticket... - oh well)

I guess I should just be happy for the instances of good customer service, and stop bemoaning the situation in Dundalk. Still, I somehow wish there was a bit of consistency about this service.

Update - 20 March 2010 - 10.00hrs
 

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=677

Notices had been withdrawn, but this seems to be ongoing.

http://twitter.com/irishrail/http://www.facebook.com/iarnrodeireann?ref=nfhttp://www.facebook.com/iarnrodeireann?ref=nfhttp://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/...ew&news_id=677

Ongoing - 22 March 2010
 

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=677

this has carried on into today too

and until tomorrow????