Sligo Line - Media Reporting

Early-Bird Train service from Sligo to Dublin dropped in new timetable Dec 12, 10:38 am
OCEANfm

The early bird 5 AM rail service from Sligo to Dublin has been done away with.

The Iarnrod Eireann new timetable becomes operational from today and includes five trains a day to the capital as well as new train carriages.

The 5am Monday morning service from Sligo to Dublin has been discontinued as part of the changes. The first train will now leave Sligo at 6.50 am, arriving in Dublin at 9.50 am.

Iarnrod Eireann spokesperson, Barry Kenny is defending the drop of the early bird service. He says passenger numbers from Sligo on the service were very low. The service will continue from Longford however, where numbers were higher.

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Rail campaigners praised, as new five times daily Sligo-Dublin service begins Dec 12, 5:11 pm
Campaigners who protested for the upgrading of the Sligo to Dublin rail in the early 1990's are to be credited for today's initiation of new services on the line.


That's according to Sligo Senator, Eamon Scanlon.


From today onwards, there are five daily train services from Sligo to Dublin, as part of the new Iarnrod Eireann timetable.


Senator Scanlon says the service has come a long way since rumours of it actually being closed just over ten years ago.


Meanwhile, journey times by road from Sligo to Dublin are set to be reduced with the opening today of the new 39 kilometre stretch of roadway between Kinnegad and Dublin.


Senator Scanlon now hopes the remaining sections of the N4 road can be upgraded.

[turnapin]

Originally Posted by Thomas Sheridan

Meanwhile, journey times by road from Sligo to Dublin are set to be reduced with the opening today of the new 39 kilometre stretch of roadway between Kinnegad and Dublin.

It's actually better than that, as the dual carraigeway from Kinnegad to Mary Lynch's also opened on the same day. This now means you can travel all the way from Lucan lights to the Longford side of Mullingar, on dual carraigeway or better.

Which brings home the point that InterCity passenger rail is looking towards a very bleak future as the motorway and provicial bus services expand across the country and that IE better starting operating their InterCity services with a bit of imagination and savy or else.

CIE getting together with Bus Eireann and looking at a major nationwide bus/rail integration plan with combined ticketing, buses connecting with arriving departing trains etc is what is needed.

Operating real InterCity trains on InterCity services would be a good start.

Running the network in order to facilitate customer needs rather than union lifestyle choices

Ticketing is a mess and needs to sorted out.

[PaulM]

Originally Posted by Thomas Sheridan

CIE getting together with Bus Eireann and looking at a major nationwide bus/rail integration plan with combined ticketing, buses connecting with arriving departing trains etc is what is needed.

I don't know what country you think this is or waht companies you are dealing with but this isn't likely.

[sean]

Originally Posted by Thomas Sheridan

Ticketing is a mess and needs to sorted out.

Amen to that >_<