29K still on Sligo and not even cleaned

[Mickey H]

Just had this from a friend who seldom travels on IE but is an employee of a UK train operator:

"On 1305 to Sligo 8 car 29 still with last weeks newspapers on the floor. Not good at all"


Just what is the problem with putting 22s on the Sligos? I'll bet you'll see one at Docklands this evening!!!!!!

[Inniskeen]

Originally Posted by Mickey H

Just had this from a friend who seldom travels on IE but is an employee of a UK train operator:

"On 1305 to Sligo 8 car 29 still with last weeks newspapers on the floor. Not good at all"


Just what is the problem with putting 22s on the Sligos? I'll bet you'll see one at Docklands this evening!!!!!!

Couldn't manage an ICR for the 1336 to Rosslare either, 4 car 2900 this afternoon.

[Mickey H]

I think that Rosslare is always a 29. I have made several random visits to Dublin in the last few months and seen that train or its return working as a 29

[ciaram]

Originally Posted by Mickey H

I think that Rosslare is always a 29. I have made several random visits to Dublin in the last few months and seen that train or its return working as a 29

Nope, used to be a 22k set, but once the summer came it turned into a 29, presumably as a measure towards the increased numbers during the summer on the Rosslare line, you can fit a lot more standing on a 29 than a 22.

[Jamie2k9]

I think all Sligo services are 22 apart from s Sunday return service. Could of being a fault with a set and a replacement wasn't available to allow an on time departure.

[KSW]

Originally Posted by Inniskeen

Couldn't manage an ICR for the 1336 to Rosslare either, 4 car 2900 this afternoon.

What is with Iarnrod Eireann, now no offense to the company I hop eto one day work with them but, Newspapers from all around Wexford in 2010 telling its customers about the new trains but when someone who has not traveled the line awaiting to see the 22k only to experience a 29k commuter train No wonder Rail levels are low on this this line.

Originally Posted by Mickey H

Just had this from a friend who seldom travels on IE but is an employee of a UK train operator:

"On 1305 to Sligo 8 car 29 still with last weeks newspapers on the floor. Not good at all"


Just what is the problem with putting 22s on the Sligos? I'll bet you'll see one at Docklands this evening!!!!!!

Sligo and Wexford/Rosslare trains are both labelled InterCity why do commuter trains that operate quick 40min journeys to Drogheda and Maynooth operate on 3hour journeys. It can't be hard to put 22K InterCity trains on their rightly labelled named route. I've seen 22k on the Docklands service and Pearse to Drogheda service. Its bizarre how someone that high up can get it so mixed up so easy. 'what is the problem'

Originally Posted by ciaram

Nope, used to be a 22k set, but once the summer came it turned into a 29, presumably as a measure towards the increased numbers during the summer on the Rosslare line, you can fit a lot more standing on a 29 than a 22.

I have noticed this with IE, The company nearly always operate the lunch time 13.30 as a 29k commuter train with the amount of passengers using it to Gorey mostly(Courtown) and because 2x22k sets don't fit or 29k x 2 what have IE left to do except let passengers stand the journey 1hr45min to Gorey.

On a different topic but related to the Rosslare line I had a woman talking to me today who had booked an online seat to Gorey from Dublin and I told her the line doesn't have an online system. She was treated in the most outrage attitude from what she told me. She was told when arriving at Connolly that there was no seat reservation for this line but ended up paying the actual journey price. It seems to me that InterCity servies from Connolly are not the same as Heuston bar the enterprise to Sligo and Rosslare. What can we do!!! We know the lines are good but IE are not taking its advantage to its full level !!!!!

[dowlingm]

Until IE finally fits Selective Door Opening to the 22K fleet, permitting 6 car operation even to stations where short platforms will not meet all doors, there's only so much can be done if the capacity of a 3 car can't meet demand given that the single track won't permit much if any increase in services, especially when one considers the additional driver cost will swallow much of any additional revenue.

[Thomas J Stamp]

why is IE still using 29ks on the sligo service now that the full 22k fleet has arrived??

[James Howard]

It seems like at least part of the issue on the Sligo line is the lack of a 6 car set to run the 13:05 service which is too busy for a 3 car set. The only real solution for this problem is for more capacity whether it is provided by a 6-car 22k or by adding an extra service to Mullingar or Longford at 12:05 or 14:05 which would be acceptably provided with a 29k.

How big a deal is it to extend platforms - is it really that expensive? It sounds like this would be a better solution than hacking a selective door opening solution. If SDO is something that only Irish Rail required, I could easily see this being more expensive than extending platforms.

[KSW]

Originally Posted by James Howard

How big a deal is it to extend platforms - is it really that expensive? It sounds like this would be a better solution than hacking a selective door opening solution. If SDO is something that only Irish Rail required, I could easily see this being more expensive than extending platforms.

i agree, or has the stations been extended to its max.
I'm surprised to hear that alot of people are still using the Rosslare line. Wexford bus have a journey time from Gorey to Dublin of 1hr10mins and now Bus Eireann are giving slashing times from Gorey to Dublin to 1hr20mins. The train time for the journey is 1hr40+mins. The morning service 05.55 takes 2hours.

The SDO would be a good thing just takes forever to actually happen.

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by James Howard

It seems like at least part of the issue on the Sligo line is the lack of a 6 car set to run the 13:05 service which is too busy for a 3 car set. The only real solution for this problem is for more capacity whether it is provided by a 6-car 22k or by adding an extra service to Mullingar or Longford at 12:05 or 14:05 which would be acceptably provided with a 29k.

How big a deal is it to extend platforms - is it really that expensive? It sounds like this would be a better solution than hacking a selective door opening solution. If SDO is something that only Irish Rail required, I could easily see this being more expensive than extending platforms.

i thought that 6 car sets were used on the sligo line. if that it the case then the platforms cant be an issue. it seems to be the availabiliy of enough 6 car sets, which should not be an issue either as all the 22k fleet is here and there is talk of an over supply as it is.

[James Howard]

The Sligo line has no problems with 6-car sets as they lengthened all the platforms when doing the re-signalling about 5 years ago.

They reliably use 6 car 22Ks for the 0545 & 0700 up-trains and for the 1705 and 1905 down-trains. Very occasionally, the 0545 is made up of 2x3 cars but it is usually a 6 car unit. They use 3-car sets for the 0705 and 0905 down trains which probably gets them back in action for the 1100 and 1300 up trains. Beyond that I don't know.

For the last couple of days, the 1700 up-train (and presumably the 1305 down-train) has been a 22k but I only say it out of the corner of my eye as we blew through Killucan so I didn't notice how many cars. I'll try to keep an eye out this evening.

The big problem on the Sligo line is the very low traffic past Longford which makes 6 cars highly uneconomic. There would be a lot of merit in the idea of using more 3 car trains and doubling up on the frequency to Longford, but there really aren't enough crossing points between Maynooth and Mullingar to support this. Still an 8-car 29k has to be even less economic than a 6-car 22k particular when it is doing the 17:00 from Sligo with about 50 passengers.

[Jamie2k9]

They reliably use 6 car 22Ks for the 0545 & 0700 up-trains and for the 1705 and 1905 down-trains. Very occasionally, the 0545 is made up of 2x3 cars but it is usually a 6 car unit. They use 3-car sets for the 0705 and 0905 down trains which probably gets them back in action for the 1100 and 1300 up trains. Beyond that I don't know.

For the last couple of days, the 1700 up-train (and presumably the 1305 down-train) has been a 22k but I only say it out of the corner of my eye as we blew through Killucan so I didn't notice how many cars. I'll try to keep an eye out this evening.

The 11.05 is alos a 3 car as was todays 13.05 which had a lot of empty seats when I passed it at 12.55.

I could be wrong but the 16.00 and 15.05 down services are also 6 car sets which allows the 19.00 return and 09.00 the following mornimg be a 6 set.

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by James Howard

The big problem on the Sligo line is the very low traffic past Longford which makes 6 cars highly uneconomic. There would be a lot of merit in the idea of using more 3 car trains and doubling up on the frequency to Longford, but there really aren't enough crossing points between Maynooth and Mullingar to support this. Still an 8-car 29k has to be even less economic than a 6-car 22k particular when it is doing the 17:00 from Sligo with about 50 passengers.

is there a potential for there to be two three cars operating to longford, one stops there, the top three go onto sligo, comes back, rejoins the other three and then its a six car from longford on the return??