[29/05/2012]-17.35 Heuston-Waterford running 20 minutes late
 

Due to a mechanical fault at Newbridge service has being delayed by 20 minutes, the Cork and Galway services from Heuston may be slightly delayed as a result.

16.50 ex Waterford will be delayed 15 minutes also.

Was delayed close to 30 minutes, we were stoped at Cherryville for over 10 mins waiting for the delayed Cork train to pass. Mark was there any reason we were not allowed to leave Cherryville until the cork train departed Kildare, we stop there to but I don't know why we had to wait until it departed kildare to start moving.

How long were you at Cherryville Junction, anything more than about six minutes would suggest you should have run up to Kildare, assumming there was nothing already in the loop at Kildare. Cork train could have overtaken there if close behind, otherwise could have followed from Kildare.

Outbound traffic (if any) might have complicated matters

Yesterday evening there was a freight train, either going to Waterford or Ballina, in Kildare from 17:30 to well past 18:15. It's presence might have complicated access to Kildare as it occupied the centre line and it's loco had to run around the loop. Normally these trains are kept well away from peak periods.

Perhaps that had a bearing on the delays to Waterford trains.

I was on the 1650. We were 25 minutes waiting in Athy and when we got under way the driver announced an extra stop in Newbridge, presumably standard operating procedure if the late-running train gets behind the 1630 from Cork and therefore misses giving a connection for Newbridge at Kildare.

We were blocked at Cherryville for about 3.5 minutes and the run in to Kildare was quite slow, as if there was something in front of us. Arrival in Heuston was at 1945, 20 minutes late.

Overall, a difficult situation was handled quite well.