Sail & Rail

[James Howard]

It was the weekend of the August bank holiday weekend so I guess it was particularly busy. It was actually a 10-car Voyager and was completely full. Probably not the wisest choice of travel date in hindsight.

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by James Howard

It was the weekend of the August bank holiday weekend so I guess it was particularly busy. It was actually a 10-car Voyager and was completely full. Probably not the wisest choice of travel date in hindsight.

Well that would explain it. That sort of loading would not be that common, except during the holiday periods.

There is a separate locomotive hauled service from Manchester that runs ahead of the Virgin train now, so that will reduce the pressure on the Virgin service west of Chester.

[Traincustomer]

Due to dry dock of M/V Stena Europe:

Last sailings before dry-dock at 09.00 ex Rosslare & 14.30 ex Fishguard tomorrow (Mon 15th Feb 2016).

First sailings after dry-dock 14.30 ex Fishguard and 21.15 ex Rosslare on Sunday 6th March 2016.

There is no SailRail provision on the Irish Ferries Rosslare-Pembroke Dock route though it's of course possible to purchase separate ferry and rail tickets. Bear in mind the station in Pembroke Dock is about a mile from the ferry terminal and there is no onward rail service coinciding with the 00.45 arrival (20.45 sailing ex Rosslare).

[Traincustomer]

The 17.55 Rosslare Europort - Dublin Connolly (& 17.40 Sundays) are deferred to 18.35 daily from tomorrow (Tuesday 7th June) till Saturday 3rd September 2016 inclusive.

This will offer a connection out of the 14.30 sailing ex Fishguard arriving Rosslare Europort at 18.00.

That said the connectional window is tight to the extent that Stena Line are reluctant to actively promote the onward train. If passengers with a ticket to a station beyond Rosslare miss the train Stena Line tend to end up footing the onward transport or accommodation bill as there is no Irish Rail (railway rather than port) representative for such passengers to speak to since the information desk in the terminal closed in 2009/2010.

Even at Fishguard, where there is best practice in terms of ship and rail being integrated in the one facility there is usually (except Sunday afternoons towards Ireland) around an hour between ship arrival and train departure and vice versa.

At Europort it takes around five minutes from the ship coming alongside at 18.00 till the gangway is in situ. Then approximately a further five to walk along the elevated walkway to the terminal building proper and down the escalator/ramp to the front door.Then a further seven or so to the station. Those times assume brisk walking/reasonable level of fitness. Add to that time for immigration/Gardai/security checks or if one is collecting luggage from the luggage train at the front of the terminal. Plus time to buy a rail ticket at the entrance to the platform.

Through ticketing from stations in England and Wales to stations here was available throughout summer 2013 and 2014. Last year the through ticketing only became available at a late stage. Checking earlier this afternoon it is not yet available this year.

It genuinely comes across as if some/someone in authority wants to see the connection fail. The NTA are well aware of the issue with the connection but don't seem to care.

Incidentally the line that some are keen to pedal that nobody uses the train to connect to and from the ferries at Rosslare or that such traffic has dwindled does not hold true in my experience as I've seen the continental boat arrival mid-morning throw double digit numbers of passengers onto the platform. Granted there are fluctuations and quiet times but I've also been on DARTs which have been very quiet! Equally there is regular usage of the 16.37 to connect to the port. On a journey I made in recent weeks it took two trips of the shuttle bus to convey foot passengers to the Stena Europe. It was an off peak day. (Shuttle bus was in use as foot passenger gangway was out of action. It's now repaired and foot passengers board via the walkway from the first floor waiting lounge).

Of course if it was made easy to purchase tickets to travel to Wales traffic could be grown. There are students going to Carmarthen/Swansea. There are folk going on short breaks as well as people going on business - farm purchases/shows and the like. But despite there being staff in Wicklow, Arklow, Gorey etc SailRail tickets can't be issued at these stations and the only option is to purchase over the phone (a week ahead of travel at minimum as the ticket is posted out). I think this is no fault to the good personnel of these stations but because possibly issuing SailRail tickets can only be done by certain grades of staff.

Irish Rail could bus passengers from the terminal to station at 18.25hrs but the height barrier at the station car park essentially precludes this.

Timetable Alteration for Evening Rosslare Europort to Connolly Service

31 May 2016

Customers are advised that the following timetable changes will take place from the Tuesday 7th June until Saturday 3rd September.

The 17:55hrs service from Rosslare Europort to Dublin Connolly Monday to Saturday will be deferred until 18:35hrs.

The 17:40hrs service from Rosslare Europort to Dublin Connolly on a Sunday will be deferred until 18:35hrs.

Full information is available through the journey planner above and through our timetables section.

Iarnród Éireann apologise for any inconvenience these changes may cause.

http://www.irishrail.ie/media/08_dub...616-030916.pdf

[Bdeithrick]

I took the sail rail option last Friday 3/6/16
Booked on line €66 , I drive a taxi so collected my CIV ticket at the Irish ferries terminal 1 in the Port.
On Friday I took the 6am dart and got off at conolly, I walked across ss Amiens Street to the bus stop and the 53 came at 07:05. Can use leap card on this avoid the special bus at Bus Aras is €3 at 07:15
After a nice trip through east wall and the major roads of Dublin Port we arrived at Terminal 1 Irish ferries for my swift at 07:20
Swift departs at 08:45. Well in time for a scout around , check in , bag drop and a coffee n scone.
Johnny Swift took 2hrs accross the flat Irish Sea was very calm. As with all sailings I've been on its popular with the minority clans you can't discriminate against. We alighted the swift thru back ramp onto a old horrid bus to the terminal, bags collected and we were ID'ed
The Arriva train came Five minutes later I stood half was down platform and got a table seat, with charging point. It left on time at 11:27
What a beautiful trip to Chester where is was all change for London, our 13:35 was waiting, I ran and secured another table seat for our 2 hrs too Euston
We arrived nice n swift at 15:38
I took the Victoria line to Walthamstow Central and the overground to Highams Park.
This trip was 11rs but was very relaxed and no security problems with liquids and stupid walks to Ryanair gates and long walked through gift shops thinking your gong to miss the flight stress.
Kids are half price and it's a recommend route if you've time and don't want to get to London before 4pm.
Buy ticket from Irish ferries it's cheaper.
Get train times from trainline.com and screen shot it.
Hope this 2016 times n routes help. B

[Jamie2k9]

Hearing on regional radio about a new 5 or 7 times daily bus service between Rosslare Port and Wexford Town operated by Local Link Wexford and it connects with the ferries.

May well cause problems for IE summer service.

[Eddie]

Due to high airfares last weekend due to (a) late travel arrangements and (b) high demand due to the start of the UK school holidays, did my first Stena Rail and Sail last Sunday (since the HSS ceased operation) from London to Dublin, travelling out on the 8.15am. [Had tried to book the 5.15pm Swift, but the Crewe to Holyhead leg was full and therefore thetrainline.com would not let me book the journey on-line (though I'm sure I could have at a train booking office, and simply not have reserved seats).]

Pleasantly surprised by the rail element, with Virgin SuperVoyager all the way (albeit changing at Crewe).

Really feels like a backward step though having to get the slow ferry, and the worst bit is having to wait for all the vehicles to depart from the car deck before the bus comes to get you in Dublin. Foot passengers and cars never got in each others was on the HSS and could leave simultaneously.

Funny how Stena's 8.55am and 1.50pm Holyhead departures are virtually identical to the HSS's previous departure times - but with effective disembarkation times into Dublin of 12.30pm (instead of 10.30am) and 5.30pm instead of 3.30pm. 2 extra hours sailing and no connecting train either. And they are still using the HSS's lounge in Holyhead.

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by Eddie

Due to high airfares last weekend due to (a) late travel arrangements and (b) high demand due to the start of the UK school holidays, did my first Stena Rail and Sail last Sunday (since the HSS ceased operation) from London to Dublin, travelling out on the 8.15am. [Had tried to book the 5.15pm Swift, but the Crewe to Holyhead leg was full and therefore thetrainline.com would not let me book the journey on-line (though I'm sure I could have at a train booking office, and simply not have reserved seats).]

Pleasantly surprised by the rail element, with Virgin SuperVoyager all the way (albeit changing at Crewe).

Really feels like a backward step though having to get the slow ferry, and the worst bit is having to wait for all the vehicles to depart from the car deck before the bus comes to get you in Dublin. Foot passengers and cars never got in each others was on the HSS and could leave simultaneously.

Funny how Stena's 8.55am and 1.50pm Holyhead departures are virtually identical to the HSS's previous departure times - but with effective disembarkation times into Dublin of 12.30pm (instead of 10.30am) and 5.30pm instead of 3.30pm. 2 extra hours sailing and no connecting train either. And they are still using the HSS's lounge in Holyhead.

Lesson #1 - never ever use the thetrainline.com as they charge extra.

Always use a train operator website.

[Eddie]

Originally Posted by berneyarms

Lesson #1 - never ever use the thetrainline.com as they charge extra.

Always use a train operator website.

It was the first time I had used thetrainline.com for years due to exactly that reason, but they seem to have a monopoly (as far as I am aware) on the sale of non booking office UK Rail & Sail tickets. I normally buy such tickets at the booking office as I am passing through a station, but on this particular occasion, it would have cost more in transport than the £1.50 fee.

Disappointingly, my experience was that their telephone service had not got any better over the intervening period, with a long response time and transfer to what appeared to be an Indian call centre. I don't have problem with overseas call centres as long as staff have the local knowledge that you would expect an employee resident of the country they are serving has, but they rarely do.

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by Eddie

It was the first time I had used thetrainline.com for years due to exactly that reason, but they seem to have a monopoly (as far as I am aware) on the sale of non booking office UK Rail & Sail tickets. I normally buy such tickets at the booking office as I am passing through a station, but on this particular occasion, it would have cost more in transport than the £1.50 fee.

Disappointingly, my experience was that their telephone service had not got any better over the intervening period, with a long response time and transfer to what appeared to be an Indian call centre. I don't have problem with overseas call centres as long as staff have the local knowledge that you would expect an employee resident of the country they are serving has, but they rarely do.

No - it's just that Stena Line send you there.

You can buy them directly from the Arriva Trains Wales website.

[Traincustomer]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

Hearing on regional radio about a new 5 or 7 times daily bus service between Rosslare Port and Wexford Town operated by Local Link Wexford and it connects with the ferries.

May well cause problems for IE summer service.

The Local Link bus journey time from the port to Redmond Square in Wexford town is 50 minutes so even allowing for the walk from the terminal to station the train beats it by a large margin (23 minutes Europort-Wexford town)

Came through Rosslare earlier this week off the Fishguard ferry and on the way to the station saw the Local Link bus departing empty whereas at least three others transferred to the train (some may have missed it as the ship wasn’t in till about 18.10 and I wasn’t the only passenger who ended up running part of the way). I’ve come to the very general conclusion over the course of many trips that ferry passengers heading to places locally tend to get collected by friends/relatives with the train being the preserve of those travelling further afield.

Whilst a full sized bus is deployed on this Local Link route the service appears to be primarily designed to serve the villages. For instance it goes all around Rosslare Strand and goes into Killinick village (much safer than stopping at the side of the busy N25). There is also a three days a week connecting bus at Killinick to/from Lady’s Island, Carne etc...

“it connects with the ferries”

Not being smart but so do several/most trains. The critical difference is that Local Link Wexford are quite pro-active and have placed local media ads (for instance there’s a full page ad in this week’s Wexford People) to promote their service whereas IÉ would probably prefer to close the line south of Wexford rather than meaningfully promote it and properly develop its USPs.

There ought to be a common promotional fund for PSO services both rail and bus as the present situation is that some new/altered PSO services are marketed quite well whereas it genuinely feels others are being set up to fail. The last time I saw any IÉ promotion at Rosslare was a poster on the billboard on the hill out of the port about online fares from Limerick/Kerry etc… Irrelevant given one can’t access any of these places by rail from the port. I understand IÉ's printer broke down so the intended poster promoting the highly scenic run up the east coast to Dublin to our tourists had to be abandoned!!!

[Traincustomer]

The Dublin Bus service which Irish Ferries contract to operate from Terminal 1 to Busáras and Heuston and vice versa is not operating today and tomorrow (Thursday 8th & Friday 9th September 2016) due to the industrial action at Dublin Bus.

(The route 53 bus which operates to Irish Ferries is also not running).

As the bus connecting with Stena Line sailings is operated by a different company it is unaffected (the Stena Line terminal is circa ten minutes on foot the city side of the Irish Ferries terminal).

[Traincustomer]

Dublin Bus Ferry Connection
Published on Friday, February 17, 2017

We wish to advise customers that the Dublin Bus ferry connection between Heuston Station/Bus Aras and the Irish Ferries terminal in Dublin Port will no longer operate from Sunday 5 March 2017.

As an alternative option, Route 53 service provides an hourly connection between 07.00 and 19.00 Monday to Saturday and 7 departures between 11.00 and 18.00 on Sundays and public holidays.

Customers may contact Irish Ferries for alterative arrangements.
Irish Ferries,
P.O. Box 19,
Alexandra Road,
Ferryport,
Dublin 1 D01 W2F5
Website: www.irishferries.com
Tel: 0818 300 400

- See more at: http://dublinbus.ie/News-Centre/Gene....MQ9oBJKj.dpuf

I believe there are efforts going on behind the scenes to secure a replacement service as Dublin Bus PSO route 53 is of little use for some sailings e.g. arriving off the Ulysses at 05.55 (02.40 ex Holyhead) one would have to wait until 07.30 for the first route 53 departure.

[Colm Moore]

I dropped a line to Irish Ferries.

Originally Posted by Irish Ferries

Good morning Colm,

Thank you for your email.

We have been advised that there will be a replacement but I’m afraid we have no further information at the moment. Can you please advise when you are travelling?


Thanks and Regards,

[Colm Moore]

.

Originally Posted by Irish Ferries

Mortons coaches are now operating this service and they have a coach to meet all of the arrivals servicing Connolly & Westmoreland Street at 07:15hrs, 13:30hrs & 19:00hrs daily.

There is also the No 53 Bus Route, operated by Dublin Bus which operates to/from Talbot Street, terminating at Passenger Terminal No 1.

[Eddie]

I presume these are the same services used by Stena, which depart at 7.15am, 2pm and 7pm.

Might be awkward departing Dublin Port if either Adventurer or Ulysses is late running, assuming they are same services.

Dublin Bus could add an extra service at either end of their Monday to Saturday timetable and this would cover the extra sailings. You'd think these would be the busiest journeys!

[Traincustomer]

I understand the NTA were approached to provide 06.00 and 20.00 journeys on route 53 (the service bus via East Wall) but apparently have no plans to do so.

Regarding the connecting bus it is disappointing that the Heuston element of the route has been discontinued. I used it on a number of occasions and invariably there were several fellow passengers onboard. Off-peak especially early-morning off the 05.55 Ulysses it is a mere 4 minutes or so additional time from O'Connell Bridge to Heuston.

This bus transfer should be available as an integral part of the SailRail fare as it would avoid the faffing around and delay that goes on at times while passengers enquire the fare, the stops and whether sterling can be accepted etc...

Ferry - Bus Times
Express Bus Transfer to and from the Dublin Ferryport Terminal

Dublin Port is served by an Express Bus Transfer 7 days a week. The Express Bus Transfer service is operated by Mortons Coaches.

The fare is €3 for an Adult and €1.50 for a Child. Adult return is €5 and child return is €2.50, payable on board.

Outbound services will operate from the Mortons Bus Stop located on Westmoreland Street daily at 07:15hrs, 13.30hrs & 19:00hrs. This is the only outbound pick up location.

Inbound services a coach to meet all of our ferry arrivals with drop off points at Connolly & Westmoreland Street.
Bus service to and from the Dublin Ferryport Terminal

A regular public bus service also operates between the city center and Dublin Ferryport. The number 53 terminus is on Talbot street. Standard bus fares apply to this service and free travel passes may be used. Please click here for timetable and route.

Connections between Busarus and Heuston Station, where not shown, are possible by Luas light rail or local bus routes. These services are not included and are payable separately. Please note all bus times are subject to change. For any queries regarding this schedule, please call Dublin Ferryport at 01- 607 5519

Source: http://www.irishferries.com/ie-en/faq/Ferry-bus-times/ Accessed: 18/03/2017.

[Traincustomer]

http://www.stenaline.ie/2eurodeal

A caveat though is that if travelling a distance by rail from the ports e.g. from Fishguard/Holyhead to London the SailRail fare will still work out considerably cheaper.

[Traincustomer]

Stena Line has just announced a revised timetable on its Rosslare – Fishguard ferry service which will see customers enjoying a choice of three day time sailings and one extended overnight crossing from 22nd May.

Following the evaluation of extensive customer research and feedback, Stena Line reviewed the existing schedule and has decided to introduce three, more customer friendly 3 hour 15-minute day time crossings, making Rosslare – Fishguard the shortest and fastest crossing between Ireland and South Wales.

From Monday 22nd May, Stena Line will operate the following revised sailing schedule between Rosslare and Fishguard:

Departure Arrival Crossing Time

Rosslare Departure: 08:00 Arrival: 11:15 Crossing Time: 3hr15

Fishguard Departure: 13:10 Arrival: 16:25 Crossing Time: 3hr15

Rosslare Departure: 18:10 Arrival: 21:25 Crossing Time: 3hr15

Fishguard Departure: 23:45 Arrival: 04:00 Crossing Time: 4hr15*

Ian Davies, Stena Line’s Trade Director, Irish Sea South commented: “The new timetable will reduce the crossing times on some of our sailings by 15 mins and provide a greater choice of convenient sailing times and better arrival times. The recent investment in the Stena Europe ship has further enhanced our service offering for 2017, providing new opportunities which currently do not exist in the market for our travel and freight customers.”

Ian added: “We have conducted a lot of research and spoken with many of our freight and travel customers, listening to what they had to say about our current sailing timetable and ways in which we might improve the service in the future. We believe we have now addressed the points raised and our staff are constantly engaging with customers to ensure a smooth transition. In fact, we have already received positive feedback and believe that the vast majority of our customers will welcome these changes.”

Extract from source at: http://news.stenaline.co.uk/pressrel...etable-1893581

In terms of rail-ferry integration at Rosslare 3 out of 4 sailings (present 2 out of 4) will be rail connected (and a decent interchange window of around 90 minutes each time to allow for modest delays and the walk between terminal and station):
04.00 arrival: onward train at 05.35 (M-F)

08.00 sailing: Local Link bus (route 387) from Wexford & Rosslare Strand arrival at 07.30 (but nothing from Waterford and it's my experience there's always a few off this bus for the ferry)

16.25 arrival: onward train at 17.55 (17.40 Sundays)

18.10 sailing: 16.26 train arrival (16.32 Sundays)

However unless there are changes in the offing on the Welsh side or adjustments can be made things don't look as great as at present integration wise at Fishguard.

Addendum: looking forward on National Rail Enquiries several timetable changes are evident from Fishguard from May so this sailing schedule change could be a very good thing and help grow business.

[Eddie]

A definite improvement and Irish Rail won't need to delay the last train from Rosslare in the summer months any more.

All we need now is an early morning train to get into Rosslare to meet the 8am departure...