Timetable consultation for DART/commuter 2016 now online

[ThomasJ]

can be found here:
http://www.irishrail.ie/news/public-...muter-services

changes include:

19:00hrs connolly rosslare

19:15hrs connolly sligo

[Mark Gleeson]

It is sadly a return to the chaotic timetable of the past. Clockface has be junked on Sligo and Rosslare

Still can't get into Dublin before 9am on a Sunday
No improvement in late evening departures
The morning Rosslare Dundalk now arrives Pearse too late for a 9am start

[shweeney]

also extra 3-5 minutes running time on most Darts (why?), and the 0800 from Greystones is pushed back to 0804 making it useless for many commuters with a 9am start (this is the busiest train on the network).

[ACustomer]

I didn't see this thread when I posted the following on the Enterprise refurbishment thread. It's more relevant here:

The draft timetable may show more even departure intervals for the Enterprise, but the trains are mostly slower: nothing shorter than 2h 15m. The new early departure from Belfast takes 2h 26 mins.

What's driving this is the new 10-minute interval DART service, which seems to slow everything up. I know that this really needs a new thread, but the Rosslare times have really gone to hell, and the Bray-Howth darts are generally about 75 minutes (remember when they took just 60?).

So you have to wait about 5 minutes less for a DART, and then finds it takes maybe 5 to 10 minutes longer to make the journey. Brilliant! Only on Irish Rail.....

[Inniskeen]

What a spectacular downgrade for just about everbody except DART users. If this disaster of a timetable is implemented most Connolly rail services will become a near irrelevance for Inter-City and longer distance commuters. There may well be some extra off peak DART passengers but many people who have other options will simply walk away from this hugely unattractive timetable.

Pay more, spend longer to get there and by the way the chances of this thing working reliably are next to nil.

Can't see myself renewing my very expensive annual ticket for this pathetic offering, far worse than I expected.

[Jamie2k9]

Sligo
So a new 07.30/09.30 M-F replaces 08.00 and 16.00 services. While I accept the 16.00 is not needed neither is an 07.30/09.30 service out of Connolly as the simple reason was in 2013 they were scrapped because of no demand and nothing has changes. The 07.30 will now operate the 11.00 up. Surly it would make more sense for the 08.00 to remain and stick a 7 coach on either the 15.35/19.15 instead and work the 11.00 that way. There is the "service in balance" argument however the reality is it does not matter once demand is been meet. It is a complete waste restoring morning service ex Connolly. Running the 16.10 everyday instead would make more sense or even push it to 16.35 and ease the 17.05 service instead of a 07.30 service. Only reason I can think of is 3 coaches wouldn't be enough for 11.00 up.

Journey times appear way to excessive for:
14.05 takes 3h28m
16.10 FO takes 3h35m

13.00 to Dublin drops Enfield.

Belfast
Good to see a much improved scheduling for this service despite a journey times been longer on a few.

[shweeney]

will RUI be making a submission on this?