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Unread 09-04-2012, 20:08   #4
Inniskeen
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Join Date: Oct 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson View Post
Its very very rare for any need for extra services originating from Dublin, any charter or special originating in Northern Ireland is entirely Translink's problem, they used to run specials in the past.

I can recall in recent times a Cork Belfast charter Irish Rail ran, it originated on the Irish Rail side so it was there problem.

No C3K/4CK/DD set is cleared beyond Inchicore, even if a set was a whole pile of extra staff is required as no one in NIR is trained on the route. Its very much simpler to clear 22K sets to Belfast, much shorter distance to start with and no need for extra staff.

Any timetable improvement requiring extra trains requires 50-50 financial support so unless Translink wish to put up some cash extra trains are not happening.
Like so many aspects of railway operations in the past, NIR specials to points beyond Dublin were no particular problem although there was a need for Irish Rail staff to conduct trains beyond Dublin.

As regards improved services on the Belfast line, Irish Rail can bury its corporate head in the sand and watch the business continue to decline in the wake of the Malahide debacle, lowest common denominator timetabling, the M1 and Matthews.
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