[article] Commuters face rail disruption

[ThomasJ]

This is a bit late was yesterdays news but worth the read.

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...n-1332268.html

Commuters face rail disruption
By JEROME REILLY
Sunday March 30 2008


commuters are facing further disruption today as Irish Rail engage in a war of words with driver trainers.


They are accusing renegade drivers of "hypocrisy", and of ignoring their own union and Labour Relations Commission recommendations.

Iarnrod Eireann said that train drivers must follow their own trade unions' instructions on restoring cooperation with flexible working and new-driver training, to allow the accelerated talks process proposed by the LRC to proceed.

"Perhaps the most ludicrous and hypocritical stance of all is the drivers' continuing refusal to cooperate with the training of new drivers, while at the same time urging the company to recruit more.

"We have increased driver numbers by more than 50 per cent in the last eight years to expand rail services, and are trying to continue to strengthen staff numbers, but existing drivers are blocking trainees -- contrary to their own claimed wishes."

Urging train drivers to restore co-operation, Irish Rail said there was now a unique opportunity to conclude the talks process quickly resolving all issues around working hours and flexibilities.

Today there will be disruption on some routes.

The 16.00 Connolly to Belfast route and the 19.00 Belfast to Connolly route will have bus transfers

There will also be some timetable alterations.

This morning, services from Cork to Dublin will depart at 08.30 and 10.30, not the advertised 07.30, 09.30 and 11.30.

The 11.00hrs Heuston to Cork is cancelled and Cork/Cobh services continue to operate to the 2007 schedule. The 08.10 Tralee to Cork train departs at the earlier time of 07.15. The 13.30 Westport to Dublin departs at 14.25. All services are expected to operate normally on Monday, though the 06.30 Portlaoise to Heuston, and 17.35 Heuston to Carlow (both Monday to Saturday) remain cancelled.

- JEROME REILLY

[Mark Gleeson]

As far as we know there isn't agreement on the new mentor driver thing, questions of money and responsibility. It was on the Phil Flynn list of things, actually its the first thing on the list.

New drivers are still being passed out

[Colm Moore]

I picked up one of the British Railway magazines last week (one of the less spotted ones ).

It suggests each new trainset is getting 10,000km (sic) of running before being put into service and it appears a lot of this is being done between Limerick, Mallow and Portlaoise in the middle of the night. I get the impression that at least some of this is done with double 3-car sets, so 1 driver = 6 cars.

Surely this has an effect on the availability of drivers for ordinary services.

[Mark Gleeson]

This is not an issue, Limerick drivers are working the test trains, hasn't been a Limerick cancellation since this trouble started.

[Colm Moore]

But surely a driver can only do so many hours. Instead of driving a passengerless train around at night, some of those drivers could be running, let us say, the 0635 from Portlaoise?

[Mark Gleeson]

All testing is done by Limerick drivers as has been practice for the last 3 train types purchased.

6:35 Portlaoise Dublin starts empty in Dublin shortly after 5am.
17:35 To Carlow returns to Dublin that night

Both are driven by Inchicore based staff since they start and end in Dublin. Both these trains are cancelled as a result of the combined lack of staff/rosters dispute. There is a view is that sticking to last years roster minimises the number of cancellations and also leaves the passenger no worse off than the 2007 timetabled service

[dowlingm]

Originally Posted by Victor

But surely a driver can only do so many hours. Instead of driving a passengerless train around at night, some of those drivers could be running, let us say, the 0635 from Portlaoise?

So how do the new trains get commissioned then? It's not exactly an avoidable frill, and the timetable depends on those trains entering service.