Current status and target completion date for KRP

[stevetee]

Hi,

Can anyone enlighten the panel as to the current status of KRP and when we might reap the benefits of its completion, specifically the oft hinted-at overhaul of the Kildare Route timetable ?

Steve

[Mark Gleeson]

Its complete as of December last year, on time on budge etc.

The current slow outbound track is out of commission for relay and should be back for the 2011 timetable, again as per the plan.

Until new trains arrive, Summer 2011 and the recession starts to lift no more trains, that said reductions in journey times should be coming along soon.

[dowlingm]

Will that mean all four tracks will be newlaid or is that only 3 of 4 done?

[Mark Gleeson]

All 4 will be by start 2011

[stevetee]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

...Until new trains arrive, Summer 2011 and the recession starts to lift no more trains, that said reductions in journey times should be coming along soon.

Thanks for info Mark.

Just to clarify on your last para above, IE have new trains ordered specifically for the KRP but cant commission them due the recession or cant order new trains, or by "new" do you mean new services ?

Ive said this before in some of my Monasterevan postings the recession is now being used as an excuse not to do the right thing by their customers. We felt this especially in Monasterevin when a small number of timetable changes promised end of 2009 were shelved due to "the recession" which started in 2008.

Going by current forecasts, this recession we're in wont lift for 10 years so Id encourage other rail user groups and rail users _not_ to take the recession as an excuse for crap service. I'm sure Mark would back me up on that point

Steve

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by stevetee

Just to clarify on your last para above, IE have new trains ordered specifically for the KRP but cant commission them due the recession or cant order new trains, or by "new" do you mean new services ?

There are 51(?) more 22000-class carriages to come designed for outer suburban services (Probably no luggage racks, but extra seats) and the 6 replacements for the ones that were damaged in transit (intercity pattern). They need to be commissioned and then, separately Irish Rail will need to justify to themselves putting on extra services.

Some of them will need to be commissioned even if no new services are provided as there is currently too few in reserve.

[Kilocharlie]

Originally Posted by Colm Moore

There are 51(?) more 22000-class carriages to come designed for outer suburban services (Probably no luggage racks, but extra seats) and the 6 replacements for the ones that were damaged in transit (intercity pattern).

Remember the 6 6-car high capacity, no premier or galley, units ordered for long distance commuter services for Portlaoise/Carlow etc? These never made it to these services but are used on long distance routes.

Don't see why the extra 51 should be any different from the existing 3-car sets. Introducing a variant only complicates deployment. Anyway luggage racks are used on commuter service mostly for fold-up bikes. Removing them would a retrograde step.

[Mark Gleeson]

The 51 coaches on order are identical to the existing fleet in all aspects

[Mark Gleeson]

There are 57 coaches due next Summer, they should all be available for service by end 2011.

Obviously some of them will be simply filling the gaps at the moment as there is a shortage of trains some clearly will be deployed to provide more trains.

Certainly be seeing faster services in the next year, but recession or no recession, if they ain't no trains you can't expand the service. The trains were specifically ordered for long distance commuter services

[dowlingm]

I'm just afraid that IE will find a way to "lose" the 2600s as the commuter 22s arrive.

[Fergal]

Can you give an estimate of exactly what journey times we should expect?