Connections with Park West and stations beyond Newbridge

[kilman]

Hi,
I'm a daily commuter from Portlaoise to Park West(as well as others I see from Portarlington and Kildare)

Each morning there are a choice of three trains(one direct, the other two with a 10 or 20 min wait while changing train) to my destination- Which I'm delighted with all things considered.

But in the evening there seems to be a distinct lack of trains coming the other direction.
Instead I need to go to Heuston and get a train back out from there.
Is there any plans to include even one train in the stopping pattern each evening that would serve stations beyond Newbridge? Which would allow connections to Portlaoise?

Thanks
K

[laoisfan]

I commute from Ballybrophy to Heuston and my options are as follows:

1. Morning.
Train from Ballybrophy to Heuston, get 8:35am out to Park West
or
Train from Portlaoise ( direct train ).

2. Evening.
Train from Park West ( 4:55pm ) to Heuston. Hopefully get there in time for the 5:05pm else I have to get the 5:25pm. Only 20 mins different in Heuston but nearly 1 hr difference in Ballybrophy.

So...can anyone help with OP's question? I know there will be new timetable changes for the new year and Irish Rail will probably show possible timetable online as well but any info would be appreciated.

[Kilocharlie]

The draft 2013 timetables include an hourly(approx) Heuston-Portlaoise all stations service. That should bring about a major improvement in connectivity beyond Newbridge.

[laoisfan]

Originally Posted by Kilocharlie

The draft 2013 timetables include an hourly(approx) Heuston-Portlaoise all stations service. That should bring about a major improvement in connectivity beyond Newbridge.

I could only see the following on the draft timetable.

I've only taken afternoon-evening trains from Park West to Portlaoise, Mon-Fri, as per the topic of this thread.

15:37 - 16:35
16:28 - 17:30
18:33 - 19:36
19:38 - 20:40

For Ballybrophy one would have to either get train into Heuston & get another train back out OR get train to Portlaoise & wait for subsequent train for onward connection.

Can you please show on the draft 2013 timetable where this major improvement is? Thanks.

[Mark Gleeson]

There is a proposal in the 2013 an almost hourly or better service all day, calling all stops Heuston - Portlaoise. Thats a massive change and a massive improvement in connectivity.

http://www.irishrail.ie/media/Draft2...Timetable1.pdf

To be fair demand for direct services Ballybrophy - Park West is very very low and would be impossible to justify direct services

[laoisfan]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

There is a proposal in the 2013 an almost hourly or better service all day, calling all stops Heuston - Portlaoise. Thats a massive change and a massive improvement in connectivity.

Have to disagree "as per where the OP commutes from". And remember, Park West is a business area, it's not like it requires an all-day service, peak-time would suffice.

For anyone commuting from Portlaoise to Park West, the evening trains from Park West to Portlaoise are not great.

15:37 - 16:35
16:28 - 17:30
18:33 - 19:36
19:38 - 20:40

So between 16:28 & 18:33, ~2hr gap? Most people on average finish work at 17:30.

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

To be fair demand for direct services Ballybrophy - Park West is very very low and would be impossible to justify direct services

Agreed - I can understand that. I believe I am the only person who commutes from Ballybrophy to Portlaoise so yes....LOW!! I will probably do the following with respect to the new timetable.

1. Morning - I am better off changing in Portlaoise rather than going to Dublin & getting train back out.
Ballybrophy 06:50 - Portlaoise 07:04
Portlaoise 07:20 - Park West 08:24

2. Evening - 2 options.

Park West 16:28 - Portlaoise 17:30
Portlaoise 18:15 - Ballybrophy 18:31

or

Park West 16:23 - Dublin Heuston 16:35
Dublin Heuston 17:05 - Ballybrophy 18:00

Option #2 is the more attractive unless I am meeting family in Portlaoise etc.

Edit: Yes - there is an improvement for Dublin Heuston - Portlaoise but not specifically for Park West-Portlaoise in the evening.

[Mark Gleeson]

There are also 17:29 and 18:03 departures from Park West to Newbridge

For a station with its level of use the service offered is actually not bad

[laoisfan]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

There are also 17:29 and 18:03 departures from Park West to Newbridge

For a station with its level of use the service offered is actually not bad

Must have missed that.

Park West 17:29 or 18:03 - Newbridge 18:09 or 18:33.
Newbridge 18:45 - Portlaoise 19:13.

Thanks!

[Mark Gleeson]

The new timetable also includes several late evening all stops Heuston Portlaoise as well. It is probably the biggest improvement in commuter services out of Heuston since the launch of the Arrow service back in 1995. Its not costing anything really since its using all those empty trains that were shuttling around.

Ballybrophy is just too far out so will never see a good service, 66 miles out is really not going to generate sufficient demand

The new timetable is a classic three tier arrangement, short services from Newbridge at peak, hourly all stops to Portlaoise and long distance

[Kilocharlie]

New timetable is now on the Journey Planner.

Some odd movements which look like a shuttle between Portlaoise - Portarlington and Portlaoise-Kildare. And some anomalies are well. May not be loaded completely.

[Mark Gleeson]

Actually is working correctly

Train A leaves 11:20 all stops to Portlaoise

Train B leaves 11:25, overtakes train A, pulls in at Portarlington, train A becomes a valid connection for train B.

Welcome to the world of 4 track railways, first time we have ever had this

[Kilocharlie]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Actually is working correctly

Train A leaves 11:20 all stops to Portlaoise

Train B leaves 11:25, overtakes train A, pulls in at Portarlington, train A becomes a valid connection for train B.

Welcome to the world of 4 track railways, first time we have ever had this

That explains the anomalies....

[Kilocharlie]

Originally Posted by laoisfan

Have to disagree "as per where the OP commutes from". And remember, Park West is a business area, it's not like it requires an all-day service, peak-time would suffice.

For anyone commuting from Portlaoise to Park West, the evening trains from Park West to Portlaoise are not great.

15:37 - 16:35
16:28 - 17:30
18:33 - 19:36
19:38 - 20:40

So between 16:28 & 18:33, ~2hr gap? Most people on average finish work at 17:30.

New timetable has a 1720 (1729 at Parkwest) to Portlaoise arr 1836.

Someone must have been listening......

[laoisfan]

Kewl.

Not a bad service then from Heuston to Portlaoise then.

Well done Irish Rail.

[kilman]

Sorry for dragging this back up but I just wanted to comment as I was the OP.

I have to say the new time table has made a huge difference for me.
I now have 2 trains in the morning (from Portarlington) where I don't need to change trains(7:29 and 8:20) and loads of options home, 4:22,5:29,6:03(with a 10 min wait in Newbridge), 6:29, 7:03, 7:52 and 9:12pm
All of which I've used.
The 5:29 was only a late update on the timetable(I think it was a Sat only originally). This train picks up about 20 people of an evening so a wellworth addition.
I think about 3 trains pass it out before it reaches Hazlehatch so good use made of the 4 tracks!
I have to say Well done IE

[laoisfan]

Yeah I do be on those trains as well, though I'm coming from Ballybrophy so I change at Portlaoise.

All in all not a bad service to be fair.

The only gripe I have is the 5:23pm (this is 4:20pm from Portlaoise) train from Park West into Heuston in the evening - for the last 2-2.5 weeks, continuously late as in 10-15 minutes late. I get this train into Heuston so I can hop on the 18:00 Cork train (first stop Ballybrophy).

[grainne whale]

Not a great service from Heuston to Hazelhatch a journey that used to take 20mins (17.15 - old timetable), now takes 30mins under the new timeable. There is a noticable fall off in passengers as well. It looks like they are running down the Commuter Service, and concentrating on main line services.