Templemore-Dublin

[Destructix]

I know Iarnród Éireann have a policy to charge more from Stations with high passenger numbers like Cork Thurles Portlaoise to Heuston station than on other lines but it isn't exactly fair to charge someone in Templemore €41 versus €34.50 in Waterford when Templemore hasn't got a comprehensive bus service to Dublin to compete with the train like Waterford city has. Or the fact you can get €10 euro fares online up to the last hour on that Waterford line or day saver fares (i haven't seen day saver fares in Thurles since 2006 and never heard of them in Templemore) I just checked online prices for Friday the 30th of September. There is €10 euro fares but most the return fares are between €16-€30 euros so at the highest return fare you don't save anything at all. Versus Waterford city fares today. which would work out at €23. It's not fair that someone in Templemore has to pay alot more than someone even further away to get to the same place. I don't use Templemore station due to the poor service. I don't mind paying €46 in Thurles as it's a great service with a excellent timetable. But i do think small towns like Templemore should have special fares to Dublin to at least have a chance to compete with a city. Iarnród Éireann need to reform their fares on small stations like Templemore or they face no one using the service. Most people i know in Templemore are driving to Roscrea to get the Bus Éireann service as it is much better value.

[dowlingm]

I've got a better idea - close Templemore to traffic and have IE pay a contract operator to run a bus to Thurles (14km) and shift the stop on the 1030 ex Kent (the only weekday service which does not serve Thurles but does Templemore) there too. Suddenly a bunch of trains just got 3-4 minutes faster or have the option to stop somewhere more profitable.

The town has lost 1/7th of its population in the last five years - it's hard to see the business case for IE to chase business in that locality.

[peterh]

Originally Posted by Destructix

I know Iarnród Éireann have a policy to charge more from Stations with high passenger numbers like Cork Thurles Portlaoise to Heuston station than on other lines but it isn't exactly fair to charge someone in Templemore €41 versus €34.50 in Waterford when Templemore hasn't got a comprehensive bus service to Dublin to compete with the train like Waterford city has. Or the fact you can get €10 euro fares online up to the last hour on that Waterford line or day saver fares (i haven't seen day saver fares in Thurles since 2006 and never heard of them in Templemore) I just checked online prices for Friday the 30th of September. There is €10 euro fares but most the return fares are between €16-€30 euros so at the highest return fare you don't save anything at all. Versus Waterford city fares today. which would work out at €23. It's not fair that someone in Templemore has to pay alot more than someone even further away to get to the same place. I don't use Templemore station due to the poor service. I don't mind paying €46 in Thurles as it's a great service with a excellent timetable. But i do think small towns like Templemore should have special fares to Dublin to at least have a chance to compete with a city. Iarnród Éireann need to reform their fares on small stations like Templemore or they face no one using the service. Most people i know in Templemore are driving to Roscrea to get the Bus Éireann service as it is much better value.

Well if more and more people from Templemore keep on driving to Roscrea on a regular basis to use the better value Limerick Dublin service, which has buses operating between the 2 cities ever hour, and Iarnrod Eireann does nothing about this, then that's their loss.

[Destructix]

There was alot of business though from the Garda college and will be again when it re-opens to training. Maybe the 22000's should just serve Templemore. Bring back two or three direct morning services to Limerick. Then passengers from Templemore to Cork can stop off at Thurles and connect to Cork. Templemore does makes business just not at the scale of Thurles/Portlaoise/Cork etc does.

[Mark Gleeson]

There is a day saver fare from Templemore to Dublin, its still on the system as is the day saver to Limerick

10 euro fares are available if booked in advance and the website will offer the day saver fare if the combination of trains chosen is valid.

There is no bus from either Thurles or Templemore to Dublin so the train does surprisingly well in numbers

Business is good on the Dublin Cork line so the level of discount is lower than other routes. Its cool to say every fare should be 10 euro all the time, problem is that doesn't work Dublin Cork as the trains are already busy so you would loose money relative to now and clearly that is not a good idea. The fare structure needs an overhaul and that is due very soon

[Destructix]

Just thinking if they ran the Limerick shuttles from Thurles instead of Limerick Junction couldn't the Dublin-Cork and Cork to Dublin trains not have to wait over 5 minutes for the other train to leave the platform. Though you would have to go back down the track a bit and turn off to Limerick. But it wouldn't slow the intercity trains which wait for ages to get into the Junction

[dowlingm]

When they close Waterford-Limerick Junction perhaps but then what about people who want to get Limerick-Cork trains? That's 70km round trip in the wrong direction when the bus already has a direct route advantage. Also LJ will be the sole Tipperary town catchment when the Waterford train stops.

[Destructix]

I guess the Cork side would have to travel quite a bit. But what if they ran commuter 2700's from there too. I know it would cost them more but it would improve times by about 15 minutes. So much time is wasted at Limerick junction. The 14:28 train Thurles - Cork was 10 minutes late Friday. When it got to Limerick junction even though it didn't have to wait for another train to come out and running late it stayed there for a good 5-6 minutes with one the staff out at the door smoking (another thing that causes delays) Or even easier they could just bring back the twice hourly Limerick trains this way closing down the junction to an extent. Dublin-Cork-Dublin trains would only have to make three stops for the Clonmel train then. Instead of every hour improving the times even greater.

[Mark Gleeson]

The current arrangements make sense and meet the real needs of passengers.

Eliminating Limerick Junction serves no purpose as it would make journeys longer for nearly all passengers to/from Limerick

Dublin Limerick change at Limerick Junction will always be faster than an all stops Dublin Limerick train

A change at Thurles would add time in two ways, firstly the 2700 units are limited to 70mph on what is a 90mph railway plus the 2700 unit would have to wait 5-7 minutes before it could set off as the signaling doesn't allow trains to follow at close intervals. You would need more units to cover the shuttle which means more staff, more miles, more cost and more delays

Then what of Cork Limerick?, Waterford Limerick Junction and so on

The car park at Limerick Junction is just as busy if not busier than Thurles so there is demand from there. The Thurles Limerick morning train serves Limerick Junction and specials for Tipperary GAA normally start from the Junction

[jacko]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

The current arrangements make sense and meet the real needs of passengers.

Eliminating Limerick Junction serves no purpose as it would make journeys longer for nearly all passengers to/from Limerick

Dublin Limerick change at Limerick Junction will always be faster than an all stops Dublin Limerick train

A change at Thurles would add time in two ways, firstly the 2700 units are limited to 70mph on what is a 90mph railway plus the 2700 unit would have to wait 5-7 minutes before it could set off as the signaling doesn't allow trains to follow at close intervals. You would need more units to cover the shuttle which means more staff, more miles, more cost and more delays

Then what of Cork Limerick?, Waterford Limerick Junction and so on

The car park at Limerick Junction is just as busy if not busier than Thurles so there is demand from there. The Thurles Limerick morning train serves Limerick Junction and specials for Tipperary GAA normally start from the Junction

from my non scientific surveys on Dub/Cork it would appear that Lim Junction is a more popular stop than Thurles (even when you exclude limerick connecting passengers)

Seems to be used a lot by people from Tipp town and surrounding areas

[dowlingm]

Originally Posted by jacko

from my non scientific surveys on Dub/Cork it would appear that Lim Junction is a more popular stop than Thurles (even when you exclude limerick connecting passengers)

Seems to be used a lot by people from Tipp town and surrounding areas

I've gotten a lift to the Junction from Mitchelstown on occasion (because the local credit union sells contract tickets) but according to Google Maps with the M8 Thurles is almost the same journey time!

[Destructix]

I was coming home on the 19:55 Limerick to Limerick Junction last night which was delayed 6 minutes because people arriving late and hugging each other on the platform even though the whistle was blown twice. Got on Cork to Dublin train back to Thurles at 20:33 at the Junction which only serves Thurles-Heuston. What i don't get is the driver said to everyone not for Thurles/Heuston to wait at Thurles for connecting train. There is no more trains on that side until the morning though. There is a Direct Limerick and a Thurles-Cork train on platform 2 but that's it. So this group of girls who we were talking to me and said they were from Laois must have waited in Thurles until during the morning :/ I can't find any info but is their any service to other stations on that side after that 20:53 Thurles-Heuston.

[comcor]

Limerick Junction serves a pretty large catchment. The stretch from there to Charleville is probably the longest between Dublin and Cork without a station and Charleville isn't all that well served. Also, a good number of people from the Southern and Eastern suburbs of Limerick drive there to get the train. Why spend 10 minutes getting into the city to spend 35 minutes on a train when you can spend 25 mins getting to the direct service. You see a similar thing with people from the Northside of Cork using Mallow.