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Unread 16-02-2013, 15:02   #1
joey
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Default Dublin - Sligo and Sligo - Dublin

Three hours is too long, surely this can be done faster. The Cork service was improved why not this one? Even one or two of the trains each day, doesn't need to stop at every stop, yes there are loops.
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Unread 16-02-2013, 18:09   #2
Jamie2k9
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3 hours is completive with the car and the bus takes much longer. Nothing is going to change anytime soon. Haven't traveled past Maynooth on Sligo line but isn't there a lot of bends. Speed and bends don't mix well.

Running a limited stop service will have little affect as trains will still crawl through stations so saving at best will be a few minutes while it has potential to lose passengers as a result.

Comparing Cork with Sligo isn't realistic as Cork is the bussiest rail line and Sligo is fifth or sixth bussiest.
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Unread 17-02-2013, 11:59   #3
Inniskeen
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There is considerable scope for speeding up Dublin/Sligo/Dublin services. At least twenty minutes could be be taken off the existing schedules within current line speeds.

In addition there is considerable scope for increasing maximum line speed to 90 mph over considerable sections of the route, especially west of Hill of Down.

Further time could be saved by more intelligent scheduling between Connolly and Maynooth - it really shouldn't take a non-stop service any more than twenty minutes to cover this section in either direction.
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Unread 17-02-2013, 13:19   #4
joey
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Further time could be saved by more intelligent scheduling between Connolly and Maynooth - it really shouldn't take a non-stop service any more than twenty minutes to cover this section in either direction.[/quote]

Absolutely, 30mins connolly to maynooth is too long, ten minutes could be saved there. Car takes 2 and half hours sligo from dublin, to be competitve they need to speed the train up.
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Unread 17-02-2013, 13:45   #5
James Howard
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Removing stops probably isn't really a possibility - certainly east of Longford there are relatively few stops and these are all quite busy anyway. The Maynooth running time is just stupid. I have been on a delayed service that has covered Connolly to Maynooth in under 15 minutes so 20 should be achievable but not with Irish Rail's somewhat casual attitude towards timing.

If you look at the 0545 up-train, this is scheduled for 37 minutes between Maynooth and Connolly - 7 minutes more than the 1100 yet it manages an overall running time of 2 minutes less - probably because it doesn't have a spare 10 minutes allocated to sit in Edgeworthstown waiting for a crossing.

A bit more flexibility with scheduling the crossings would also be a massive help. Most up trains wait to cross for 10 minutes in Edgeworthstown but surely it would make more sense to plan to cross in Longford as it is more likely that a down train is going to be delayed due to congestion around Dublin. Then you could have the up-train proceed the 11km or so to Edgeworthstown and cross there if a down-train was delayed. Something similar would work between Mullingar and Killucan but Edgeworthstown and Mullingar are too far apart. In an ideal world, adding an extra crossing somewhere like the former Inny Junction would give even more flexibility but that is never going to happen.

90mph running wouldn't help the timetable while Irish Rail still run 29Ks to Sligo which are restricted to 70mph.
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Unread 17-02-2013, 22:18   #6
joey
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29k on the 1300 ex Sligo today. Why is there an insistence using these commuter trains on long journeys?
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Unread 25-02-2013, 18:09   #7
seamus kilcock
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Is the 1105 Dublin to Sligo a 22000 service.
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Unread 25-02-2013, 18:14   #8
Mark Gleeson
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All services Monday to Saturday with the possible exception of the 13:05 to Sligo and 18:00 return are 22k operated
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Unread 25-02-2013, 18:16   #9
seamus kilcock
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Thanks Mark.
Seamus
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Unread 25-02-2013, 20:34   #10
Jamie2k9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson View Post
All services Monday to Saturday with the possible exception of the 13:05 to Sligo and 18:00 return are 22k operated
Its only Friday and Sunday that the 13.05 and 18.00 services are not 22k, because there isn't/not bothered finding a 6 piece to operate instead of the usual 3.
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Unread 26-02-2013, 19:50   #11
seamus kilcock
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Default standard of wi-fi to/from Sligo

I joined the 0800 Connolly to Sligo train at Kilcock to-day 26th Feb. Timing was good.
And the wi-fi worked almost 100% the whole way to Sligo. I was in carriage 'A'.
Returning from Sligo at 1300 - same train set - I was in carriage 'C'.
Even though I had a constant wi-fi signal on my iPhone, RTE and Newstalk were constantly dropping out.
I switched off the wi-fi and I found the o2 signal gave me almost 100% perfect RTE and Newstalk.
The only timing issue on the 'up' trip was being held at Edgeworthstown for 13 minutes because the 1305 down we were crossing was running late.
I wonder why the wi-fi did not work in carriage 'C' on the up trip having worked ok in carriage 'A' on the down trip?
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Unread 27-02-2013, 09:36   #12
Mark Gleeson
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There are a handful of coaches floating around which have defective equipment.

There is a program to trace and replace a part on those coaches to resolve the issue.
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