Kildare Rail Users' Group (KRUG)

[Mark Gleeson]

KRUG - Kildare Rail Users' Group

February 4th 2006

Platform 11 are pleased to announce the formation of KRUG - Kildare Rail Users' Group

KRUG will be campaigning for improved rail services in Kildare, Co. Kildare

http://www.platform11.org/local_groups/KRUG/

The Kildare Rail Users' Group is a grassroots forum for users of Kildare Town train station. Hundreds of passengers travel daily from the station coming from as far afield as Athy, Monasterevin and Portarlington. However in recent years, Kildare has seen fewer mainline services, a reduction in the Arrow service and at the sametime a never-ending rise in passenger numbers.

KRUG will provide a forum for the beleaugered passengers from Kildare to air their grievances, develop new ideas and speak to Iarnród Éireann with a single voice. It will particularly look at issues such as timetabling, the provision of increased commuter services (during the week and at weekends), improved access to mainline services, adequate parking facilities, station improvements including improved access for the mobility impaired and any other problems that the commuting public face. It will alsowork with Platform 11 to deliver improvements for all stations on the Kildare route.

The first meeting of the group will take place in the meeting room of the Silken Thomas, Kildare at 8:30pm on February 9th, and all are welcome.

[kilman]

So when should we see the 'Sallins and Naas Rail users group(SANRUG)'
and the 'Hazlehatch and Celbridge rail users group(HACRUG)'

Its a bit wacky that with 4.5 miles between Kildare and Newbridge stations that they did not take a combined approach.

[Mark Gleeson]

As it stands there is a group in Lucan, Sallins and Naas, Newbridge and Kildare

The issues are primarily local, car parking, timetables, connections they are specific to that one station, you need people on the ground as they alone understand exactly the issues

The end result should be local groups all over the place but the key difference now is everyone is in the loop, Irish Rail have had it easy until now as opposition has been unfocused and easily blinded by the reality distortion field senior IE staff seem to create

A representive from KRUG was in fact present at the Newbridge meeting

Going forward the vision for Platform 11 as it has been since day 1 is that local groups are to be encouraged pooling there knowledge and enthusiasm and by combining together to fight the larger battle forming a formidable organisation which can't be ignored.

As some may have noticed a new section appeared on the p11 website on Saturday http://www.platform11.org/local_groups/

Kildare and Newbridge are the first of 2 with a real chance of that increasing, I can see it becoming 5 in the next months

[PaulM]

Not only have they been added, the spelling of their names has been corrected.

[sean]

What about those Commuter North guys?

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by Lenister Leader

KILDARE RAIL USERS ESTABLISH FORUM
By PAUL O’MEARA

DISGRUNTLED commuters using rail services from Kildare town will have an opportunity to air their grievances through a forum soon to be set up.
The inaugural meeting of the Kildare Rail Users Group takes place tomorrow (Thursday) at the Silken Thomas, Kildare.
Other groups have already been set up by people using the stations at Newbridge and Sallins with the intention of providing a forum for commuters to come together to air grievances and lobby Iarnród Éireann with a single voice.

Issues on the agenda for the meeting include timetabling, communication, service reliability and station facilities.

According to the KRUG organiser Tony O’Donnell the meeting is open to commuters and members of the public alike. There was a large turnout for a similar meeting in Newbridge last week

Mr. O'Donnell said: “I was at Newbridge's launch meeting last week, and it was packed with frustrated commuters. I expect nothing less from Kildare Town. We suffer many of the same problems experienced in Newbridge, and if we don't take the opportunity to organise ourselves we will not see any improvements. Users' groups are a proven grassroots way for the public to put pressure on Iarnród Éireann, but they will only work if people get out and show their support. It's a voluntary movement so we need lots of volunteers to act as our eyes, ears and voices.”

Iarnród Éireann management have also expressed their interest in the output of the meeting.

Mr. O'Donnell can be contacted at 087-9081649 or be e-mail at tony.odonnell@gmail.com

© Lenister Leader 2006
http://www.leinsterleader.ie/Desktop...cumentID=20833

[Mark]

Sunday services should be high up on their agendas.

These groups will come in handy when collectively when there is a push for DART extension and 4 tracking to Kildare. Its only down the road that this sort of thing will be needed. Dont think that IE are already planning beyond 2015.

[Mark Gleeson]

Meeting went extremely well a a good attendance

What is interesting was the huge list of issues the majority of which are all fairly simple and cheap things, basic stuff folks. Quite similar to Newbridge but again a lot of specific local issues, simple minor things that annoy people

Newbridge Rail Users Group was represented as was Platform 11

I wouldn't want to be the IE manager sent to deal with Kildare (or Newbridge) as seriously professional organised groups are getting going and despite IE welcoming such groups I don't think they have any idea whats going to happen. The classic IE pr speak doesn't hold water

[Derek Wheeler]

The current Metro North public consultation phase is very relevent to Kildare line users in relation to integration and onward connections.

We appreciate all feed back.

[Derek Wheeler]

Sorry its late. From the Kildare Nationalist.



Kildare commuters take the platform in fight for rail services

LAST week’s launch of the Kildare Rail Users’ Group (KRUG) in The Silken Thomas, Kildare town, saw many angry and dissatisfied commuters coming to gether to discuss topics such as station facilities, timetabling, reliability, pricing and communication.

The group now plans to draw up a priority list of issues and to invite Irish Rail to their next meeting to discuss them.


Organiser Tony O’Donnell was delighted with the turnout and the breadth of issues raised on the night.


“It was great to see so many people willing to get involved in KRUG. We had a great mix of commuters, day-trippers, local residents and representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, and that meant we could get a very wide range of input.


“Our next step is to draw up a priority list of issues for Irish Rail, so that when their delegation come to our next meeting, they can come prepared. We think this is important as it means that they won’t be able to escape answering difficult questions,” Mr. O’Donnell stated.


Among the main issues raised at the Kildare meeting were: parking - both capacity and security issues, and in particular concerns about recent vandalism and robberies; the need for more evening and night trains servicing Kildare town; an improved Sunday and bank holiday service that could meet the needs of people who have to work on those days; better access for mobility-impaired passengers and in particular improved access to platform two; the need to safeguard mainline services, particularly in light of the retail village which will open soon; the desirability of improved communication both within stations and on trains when problems arise and the need for a station master in Kildare, to manage what is an increasingly busy facility


The meeting was also addressed by Platform 11 PRO Derek Wheeler and technical officer Mark Gleeson. Platform 11 is the national user lobby group, and has proven itself to be a strong advocate for passengers.


Mr O’Donnell was extremely appreciative of Platform 11’s representation at the meeting.


“I’d like to thank Derek Wheeler and Mark Gleeson for coming down to speak and inform us about national issues. It is important that we work with them on issues that affect the overall rail network.


“Our aim is to see user groups in all of the stations in Kildare so that we can bring maximum pressure to bear on Irish Rail, and with the recent launch of the Newbridge rail group and the resurgent Naas and Sallins group, we’re well on the way,” he claimed.


The group has established a committee to organise the next event, which they expect to hold in the coming weeks.


In the meantime, people can review KRUG’s progress on http://www.platform11.org/lo cal_groups/KRUG/ or by emailing tony.odonnell@gmail.com.

[kilman]

Some of the points are true but using the new village as an excuse that mainline trains should stop there is a load of nonsense. The village is about 1 1/2 miles from the train station.The village is located right off Kildares interchange at the M7, thats how people will get there.

There are far too many mainline trains stopping there and there should be none stopping in Newbridge at all.

I think all station car parks between Dublin and Portlaoise(with the exception of Monasterevin) are in serious trouble.

The communication on trains is certainly an issue. Although I think Kildare is lucky to have a good team there that will communicate with customers.
In Portarlington, they usually wait for the train to be late before announcing that its going to be x minutes late.

[Garrett Cummins]

Newbridge & Kildare have always had intercity services. As their respective populations are growing with people who are not native to these towns, it is logical that the demand to travel to the major towns and cities is there for the long term. Newbridge has a population of 22,000 and growing, withdrawal of the intercity service will result in longer travelling times for the already hardpressed Newbridge rail user who has experienced a reduction in intercity services already without any consultation!

[Jeanette Donath]

Leaflets were distributed this morning for a meeting of the Portarlington Railway Action Group next week.
Maybe a member/members of Platform 11 could get in touch with the organisers to make sure that the meeting will be successful and issues are addressed appropriate.
Anybody???

[Mark Gleeson]

We already have been in contact with Portarlington and a Platform 11 representative will attend the meeting

Platform 11 has supported NRG and KRUG since there foundation and a deputation is heading down (by rail) this evening to the NRG meeting

A very close level of co-operation and assistance has been and continues to be provided as well as coordination with other local groups. Needless to say some people have rather large phone bills as a result

We have gone through the list of issues and highlighted the truth behind why things are the way they are, this empowers the local groups The classic IE smoke screen won't work as the solid facts have been made available. IE have made promises in the past they have tried to hide from.

NRG and KRUG are ready and I know IE management are worried. Other groups in Hazelhatch and Sallins are well on there way and a number of other local groups are about to be formed

[Mark Gleeson]

The next public meeting of the Kildare Rail Users Group will take place

Thursday night, March 30th at the Academy, Kildare Town

The doors will open at 7:30 with the meeting to start promptly at 8pm

The meeting will be attended by a number of senior Irish Rail executives including:

Stephen Murphy - General Manager, Southern & Western
Myles McHugh - Service Planning Manager, Southern & Western
Tony Cassidy - Business Development Manager Mainline

Some of the group held an advance meeting with Irish Rail on Wednesday to present there issues, and they have given a commitment to be prepared for there queries and to be in a position to offer some solutions on the night.

http://forum.platform11.org/calendar...-3-30&e=25&c=1

[Mark Gleeson]

Just to bump this

KRUG page is of course here http://www.platform11.org/local_groups/KRUG/

[Mark]

How did the meeting go? Was Sunday services an issue again? Did the PPT come up? Were IE better prepared this time?

[Mark Gleeson]

I will post a report later along with a copy of the issues that where on the list

Same 5 IE managers as before, yes they where slightly better prepared but still very short on real action, lots of talk and promises

[Mark Gleeson]

These are the issues discussed last night