Proof the punctuality stats are fake

[Mark Gleeson]

The 18:35 Dublin Thurles train has been changed to spend even more time sitting in Ballybrophy.

It has not gone unnoticed that the 19:00 Cork Dublin which overtakes this train in Ballybrophy is having serious problems traveling above 85 mph thus can't make it in time.

General News

Timetable Alteration - Heuston/Thurles/Heuston by Corporate Communications

The 18.35 Heuston to Thurles and 21.00 Thurles to Heuston timetable have been amended (until 9th December 2006) as follows:

18.35 Heuston/Thurles (Monday to Saturday)

18.35 Dep. Heuston

19.11 Dep. Kildare

19.28 Dep. Portarlington

19.40 Dep. Portlaoise

20.16 Dep. Ballybrophy

20.30 Dep. Templemore

20.40 Arr. Thurles

21.00 Thurles to Heuston is deferred to depart Thurles at 21.10 and will operate as follows:

21.10 Dep. Thurles

21.19 Dep. Templemore

21.32 Dep. Ballybrophy

21.49 Dep. Portlaoise

21.59 Dep. Portarlington

22.12 Dep. Kildare

22.18 Dep. Newbridge

22.27 Dep. Sallins & Naas

22.36 Dep. Hazelhatch & Celbridge

22.57 Arr. Heuston.

Iarnrod Eireann apologise for any inconvenience this timetable amendment may cause.

[Mark Gleeson]

It gets even more confusing

The 18:35 as many will know is rarely on time, if its late the 19:00 to Cork has to crawl behind it to Ballybrophy

The 18:35 has no padding so if it is running 10 minutes late it will arrive 10 minutes late and be recorded as late, meanwhile the 19:00 has a good 8-10 minutes of padding

The alteration has no impact on the running of the trains but meerly introduces a buffer into the timetable artifically to falsify the recording of a delayed train

[Oisin88]

I love buffers.

Yesterday mornings 8:05 Heuston to Westport showed that if you leave Heuston 10 minutes late you can still get to Tullamore at 9:05, about the same time as if you leave at 08:05 and wait for the arrow to turn around at Kildare at 8:45ish.

Also, the new 201 series pulling Mk3s are turning up in Heuston 10 minutes early despite leaving Tullamore 5-10 minutes late. Brilliant.

[Maynooth_Line]

The worst thing about all this is that while train journey times are getting longer, journey times by road are getting shorted. Its like IE are actively trying to discourage people from taking the train.

Any normal company would be trying to do the complete opposite. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot...

[Derek Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Maynooth_Line

The worst thing about all this is that while train journey times are getting longer, journey times by road are getting shorted. Its like IE are actively trying to discourage people from taking the train.

Any normal company would be trying to do the complete opposite. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot...

Ive been selling that line for a while now, in relation to Intercity journies. Unless you drive a car on National routes and use the train as well, from time to time, then you will not fully realise the inherent dangers ahead for rail travel in this country, on Intercity routes.

I'll keep flogging it, as even our very own Minister for Transport, made reference to the issue, in his Metro North retort, in a recent copy of the Irish Times.