View Single Post
Unread 18-04-2016, 11:44   #203
Thomas J Stamp
Chairman/Publicity
 
Thomas J Stamp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: The Home of Hurling
Posts: 2,708
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jamie2k9 View Post
Consistency, really....there is no a single bit of consistency between both services.



Lack of interest, would think they are operating in the real world, there never has been strong demand for first class and never will be. Yes the product is not good however no matter how much you improve it, it will never be profitable as it just takes away standard seating on units and would required additional coaches i.e. restoring 5 coach units to 6 and so on.

And for what, maybe on a good day 6-10 people having a coach to themselves. Tralee does reasonably well when you compare to other routes however it's not spectacular by a long stretch. The same with Cork.

Time is money and IE would be better addressing such issues on the network.

This bravado that Belfast needs first class is complete rubbish, times have changed and I really don't think either company grasp that. Ask a single passenger what needs to change on the route:
Increase in service to hourly or just an increase?
Faster service?
Reliable service?
Would non first class stop you from using the service?

I think we know what the answers would be, with the service failing daily how on earth are the rich boy's coping with NIR stock, have they all switched to the cars, you know since first class is so critical to the route...

By all means provide on the real peak services but I'm sure even today off peak is not bursting at the scenes, so it's not so important.

It's like the whole Aer Lingus/Ryanair divide long ago, now they are more less the same!

Then who I am to tell the alleged experts running our railways who have made such wonderful decisions in the last few months, they would never be wrong
First Class on IE has been an odd fish for years on IE as there were various different versions of it depending on how the train you were on was fitted out. What I can say is that on the services I used it on it was always well used, if not full. This would range from the front half of the first carriage on the train to Limerick to the full executive car on the Cork train. That there is a demand for it cannot be denied, even if it amounts to a fairly lousy upgrade on ICR's these days. I read last week (cant remember where) that some operators are investing in making train travel less of being on a bus on rails and more of an experience, and indeed ryanair have gone down the same way including business class.

i would say form my own experience that the crash killed off a lot of Business class, which was mostly paid out of the passengers employers expenses, but at the same time the product was downgraded to make it not that attractive too.

on a different note, perhaps they could look at proper catering.
__________________
We are the passengers
Thomas J Stamp is offline   Reply With Quote