Midleton Line Opening - with Buses

[ACustomer]

Just looked at the online timetables for the first 2 days of the new service. The last two trains in each direction have been substituted by buses! What a flying start. Only in Cork.....

[Mark Gleeson]

Yup knew that was coming

The line will have to CLOSE in September for a number of days as well since the junction with the Cobh line was never installed, they are currently using the original mechanical signaling as a stop gap

[finnyus]

yeah, saw that this morning on the journey planner! is there any reason for these bus substitutions?

[comcor]

They've been going on on the Cobh line for months.

It's supposedly for engineering works, but I have a suspicion that it's down to either a lack of drivers or an attempt to avoid paying overtime.

[ACustomer]

So it's cheaper to hire a bus and pay its driver and the fuel than to operate a train? That would be a major own-goal for IE.

[Mark Hennessy]

Originally Posted by ACustomer

So it's cheaper to hire a bus and pay its driver and the fuel than to operate a train? That would be a major own-goal for IE.

Mark G has lots of good info about the Cork area situation, from what I hear it is majorly disfunctional down there.

[Mark Gleeson]

The line will open on Thursday next lunchtime.

First public service is the 13:15 from Cork and the 13:45 from Midleton. Likely there will be a train for the suits earlier in the day to ensure the minister doesn't have to share with the public.

[Mark Hennessy]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Likely there will be a train for the suits earlier in the day to ensure the minister doesn't have to share with the public.

Perish the thought that poor Noel would have to mingle with the proles

[finnyus]

Is it my imagination or did the price of a return ticket go up 1Euro?

Midleton rail service: opens this Thursday 30th July - FREE TRAVEL ON THURSDAY! by Corporate Communications

The new Cork-Midleton line will be officially opened by the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey TD this Thursday 30th July.

The Minister will travel with invited guests and the media on the first passenger train on the new line, opening the new stations at Carrigtwohill and Midleton itself.

A day of celebration involving the local community and businesses is planned at Midleton Station with a giant barbecue. Stilt walkers and face painters there to entertain the children, local Cork band, Bog The Donkey providing the music and local business and food producers will showcase the best of local fare. It promises to be a fun day out for all the family.

Free travel to the public, Thursday 30th July, from 13.15hrs

Travel on the new service will be free to the public for the day on Thursday 30th July, with public services operating from 13.15hrs onwards.

Full timetable details are available via our timetable search facility at www.irishrail.ie . Thursday services will operate as follows:

Thursday 30th July

From Cork: 13.15, 14.15, 15.15, 16.15, 17.15, 18.15, 19.15, 20.15

From Midleton: 13.45, 14.45, 15.45, 16.45, 17.45, 18.45, 19.45, 20.45



An initial introductory service operates from Friday 31st July to Bank Holiday Monday 3rd August inclusive (check www.irishrail.ie timetable search for details), before the full commuter service begins on Tuesday 4th August.

Work on the new line has been completed, following a €75 million investment in the infrastructure under the Government’s Transport 21 programme, part of the National Development Plan 2007-2013.

Full service from Tuesday 4th August

A total of 21 trains each way will operate daily between Cork and Midleton, with services running every 30 minutes at peak times, and every hour at off-peak times, Monday to Friday.

Seventeen trains each way will operate on Saturdays, and eight trains will operate each way on Sundays.

Full timetable (from 4th August):

Monday to Saturday

Timetable From Cork: 06.15, 06.45*, 07.15, 07.45*, 08.15, 08.45*, 09.15, 10.15, 11.15, 12.15, 13.15, 14.15, 15.15, 16.15, 17.15, 17.45*, 18.15, 19.15, 20.15, 21.15, 22.15

From Midleton: 06.45, 07.15*, 07.45, 08.15*, 08.45, 09.15*, 09.45, 10.45, 11.45, 12.45, 13.45, 14.45, 15.45, 16.45, 17.45, 18.15*, 18.45, 19.45, 20.45, 21.45, 22.45

* = Mon-Fri only

Sunday Timetable

From Cork: 08.15, 10.15, 12.15, 14.00, 16.15, 17.15, 18.30, 20.15

From Midleton: 08.45, 10.45, 12.45, 14.30, 16.45, 17.45, 19.15, 20.45



Journey details – Commuter service, and Intercity connections

Journey time between Midleton and Cork will be 23-24 minutes, and all trains will serve the new stations of Midleton and Carrigtwohill, as well as Glounthaune, Little Island and Kent Station Cork.

As well as offering a strong commuter service, the new Midleton timetable will offer excellent connections to the Cork-Dublin Intercity service, maximising the benefit of this new infrastructure.

The infrastructure also offers the potential to expand services in the future to every 15 minutes, as demand increases.

Each train will be a two-carriage commuter train, with capacity for 320 passengers, including seating for 129 passengers.

Platforms have also been built to accommodate future expansion to four-carriage trains.

Fares for Midleton customers will be:

Adult Single: €4.40

Adult Return: €6.50

Adult Weekly: €26.00

Adult Monthly: €92.00

Adult Annual: €920.00

Monthly and annual customers are reminded that employees of companies registered with the Taxsaver scheme are entitled to tax relief on the cost of commuter tickets, of up to 51%. Full details are available on www.taxsaver.ie

In addition, a range of rail and bus tickets will be available, allowing customers to buy integrated tickets to transfer from Kent Station to other areas in the city.

Car park charges at Midleton and Carrigtwohill Stations will be:

€2 per day

€8 per week

€30 per 4 weeks



Midleton line project

The €75 million investment in the Midleton line includes:

- upgrading track on the previously disused Glounthaune to Midleton line, through provision of a single track with a passing loop at Carrigtwohill

- providing a new signalling system

- provision of two new stations at Midleton and Carrigtwohill, including extensive car parking facilities (340 spaces and 180 spaces respectively), lifts and footbridges

- the replacement of a range of level crossings with bridges

- other infrastructure work including bridge, boundary and drainage works

[MrX]

Why are the fares so expensive compared to the DART ?

It's only 2.75 single from Dublin City Centre Stations to Bray, which is 19km away.

Midleton is 22km from Kent Station, Cork, yet it's massively more expensive!

[comcor]

Fares just are more expensive in Cork

Dublin-Skerries (31km): €8.00 rtn
Cork-Mallow (32km): € 11.40 rtn

Although, for some reason Cobh is cheaper than Midleton, even though they are almost the exact same distance from Cork. I know Irish Rail like to pretend that the reason for higher fares is because of things like double-tracking, but Cork-Cobh is double tracked, while Cork-Midleton is single-track beyond Glounethaune.

I guess unless a local politician wants to make an issue of it, fares are likely to stay higher in the Cork region.

[jacko]

the bus service for the 9.30 and 10.30 to cobh is a joke. How long more are we going to have to put up with it.

why are IR charging for cars at carrigtwohill and midleton car parks but not at glounthaune. makes no sense

are there any fares published for cobh midleton or do i have to by two separate returns

[namloc]

Went to the station in Carrig last night. They had all the bunting up etc......unfortunately they also have the parking charges boldly displayed. €2 per day or €8 per week or €30 for 4 weeks. It's on a Pay & Display basis. It's the same for Midleton. With a return from Midleton costing €6.50 plus parking it's fairly pricey. Won't encourage alot of people out of their cars with that pricing structure I'm afraid.

[Mark Hennessy]

Originally Posted by jacko

the bus service for the 9.30 and 10.30 to cobh is a joke. How long more are we going to have to put up with it.

why are IR charging for cars at carrigtwohill and midleton car parks but not at glounthaune. makes no sense

are there any fares published for cobh midleton or do i have to by two separate returns

Welcome to the forum.

We issued a press release on this issue yesterday.

All of the costs of building this railway, track, signaling, stations and car parks have already been for out of the capital budget - i.e your taxes.

Yet, CIE Property are free to charge these rip off car parking fees.
Furthermore, like in Dublin, there are no feedber buses to get people directly from their estates to the station to offer an alternative to parking at the station.
I would encourage you get in touch with your local politicians on this issue.

We also know that due to a shortage of trains, bus substitutions are likely to be used a lot.

But of course none of this matters, as Irish Rail management are accountable to no one. It's high fives and back slapping with the minister all round today.

[namloc]

Originally Posted by Mark Hennessy

Welcome to the forum.

We issued a press release on this issue yesterday.

All of the costs of building this railway, track, signaling, stations and car parks have already been for out of the capital budget - i.e your taxes.

Yet, CIE Property are free to charge these rip off car parking fees.
Furthermore, like in Dublin, there are no feedber buses to get people directly from their estates to the station to offer an alternative to parking at the station.I would encourage you get in touch with your local politicians on this issue.

We also know that due to a shortage of trains, bus substitutions are likely to be used a lot.

But of course none of this matters, as Irish Rail management are accountable to no one. It's high fives and back slapping with the minister all round today.

I live in a recently built estate in Carrigtwohill with approx. 300 houses (let's say 600 adults) many of whom commute to Cork City. However the station is a good 20 minute walk away. If IR were serious about this new service a feeder bus should be provided to get as many ppl as possible to use the train without having to pay the ripoff car parking charges.

In addition, incredibly, there is NO FOOTPATH outside the Carrig station. The footpath into the village starts around 80-100 meters after you exit the station. The road here is quite narrow and the sightlines aren't great. So if you do decide to walk you are competing with cars flying in and out of the station and on winter mornings/evenings this lack of a footpath could be quite dangerous. Surely between IR and the Council they could have thrown down a length of footpath BEFORE the station opened!!

[PLUMB LOCO]

Yes, Dempsey will have his day in the sun but won't be seen when the crap hits the fan when the service proves to be a fiasco. Nice to see the media falling hook line and sinker for the PR spin about today being the first day in 46 years since the last train to Midleton. I could have sworn I travelled over the line quite often by passenger train in the 1980s - including MkII carriages hauled by 071 class locos. The whole reopening project has been ill thought out nonsense from the start. First proposed in the Cork Land Use & Transportation Study in 1978 (!) it has taken a staggering 31 years to reopen the line as far as Midleton at a cost of between €75-100 million. A study for
Iarnród Éireann 'A Strategic Review of the Cork Suburban Rail Network' by Ove Arup & Partners in 2000 estimated that restoration of the entire route to Youghal could be achieved for about €30million ! As it is, what has been created is the most high spec siding in history. Loco hauled trains will not be able to operate to Midleton as there is no run round facility, the stations are to be unmanned and there will be no attempt to generate additional revenue through Fastrack etc. The reopening of the complete line to Youghal would have made some sense but not this.

[on the move]

Originally Posted by comcor

I know Irish Rail like to pretend that the reason for higher fares is because of things like double-tracking, but Cork-Cobh is double tracked, while Cork-Midleton is single-track beyond Glounethaune.

All routes countrywide should be double-tracked, from a safety aspect, let alone a comfort one. It should be standard procedure. The idea that customers should have to pay for the convenience of a double track is outrageous.

[namloc]

trains to midleton are running 40 mins late!! I'm here at the station in cork. I'll upload pics when i get home. only in Ireland could this happen!

[PLUMB LOCO]

Originally Posted by on the move

All routes countrywide should be double-tracked, from a safety aspect, let alone a comfort one. It should be standard procedure. The idea that customers should have to pay for the convenience of a double track is outrageous.

There are absolutely no safety problems on single lines and while they may limit capacity the cost of double tracking would not be justified and in many cases e.g. Bray Head, it is not practical.

[Trampas]

i hope he pays for his ticket