[article] Rail passengers stranded for hours

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by Irish Times

Rail passengers stranded for hours
Up to 40 rail passengers were stranded for more than three hours yesterday as the train they were travelling on broke down between stations.

A commuter train experienced a fault to its brakes before stopping just north of Dalkey station at about 10am. The driver was unable to get the train moving but passengers were not allowed to alight.

Services between Bray and Dún Laoghaire were halted for three hours.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...303701072.html
© Irish Times 2011

[Mark Gleeson]

The 9:20 Bray Drogheda came to a halt about 300m north of Dalkey station

Unit 29x13 suffered a major brake failure which halted the train


This was discussed this morning with a senior Irish Rail manager and two investigations are underway. Passenger should have been moved to a replacement train much much sooner. There seemed to be a complete failure to focus on the passengers.

The train involved was dumped in Grand Canal Dock and was still there this morning

[Colm Moore]

Whatever happened to using a wheelchair ramp to cross from one train to the other?

I realise that doesn't work everywhere, e.g. where the tracks are further apart than normal, but surely one should plan for such contingencies by having a longer gangplank available - at less than 3 hours notice.

[Mark Gleeson]

That was my first suggestion

There seems to have been a complete failure to consider passengers in the situation and instead everything was focused on moving the train.

[Colm Moore]

Ah, maybe they didn't realise that trains carry passengers.

I think the passengers should bill them for their time.

[Inniskeen]

More disruption this morning - mid morning northbound DARTs flagged 30 minutes late. Most southbound peak services between 6 and 10 minutes late at Lansdowne Road. Northbound peak sevives generally less than 3 minutes late, except 0830 from Greystones which was 6 minutes late.