[2-9-2006] 15:30 Cork Dublin

[Mark Gleeson]

New train same problems

Well it left Cork with a defective toilet on coach 4202. This was locked out for the journey. For reasons unknown train arrives Thurles 15 minutes late and takes off, at this stage the buffet is empty, no beer and no crisps.

The ride was utterly shocking loads of swaying around the worst I've ever seen

The PIS has gone nuts and keeps telling us that the next stop in Kildare when in fact it was Port Laois, sure the train manager give a PA and all is well, we pull away now 16 minutes down and shortly after the PA awakes to tell us we are making an unscheduled stop in Portarlington, change here for the west, after a 30 second stop off we go and crawl into Kildare now 26 minutes late at 18:01

Doors close and brakes come off and the train rolls back about 4 feet, stops and the driver tries again and again then gives up, door interlock is checked. At this point I've copped the problem the locomotive wasn't notching up from idle the push pull system has gone wrong, so the PA tells us we have a problem, then the call is made for the CME representative to come forward. So after 10 minutes of this we are allowed off

So at 18:49 we leave and take off to 90 mph and all seems well. It gets better we arrive Inchicore and we stop not once but twice to facilitate the staff, first stop allowed the driver to swap with the outgoing 19:00 to Cork second to allow train manager to swap over, the 19:00 to Cork had been delayed by 20 minutes to facilitate this

So as we approach Heuston the train manager Happy (Siobhan jumped ship at Inchicore) applogises for the delay of approximately one hour which was due to a problem with the locomotive, this PA was made at 19:24 and we hadn't reached Islandbridge, we should have been told of our right to a 50% refund. Train stops in platform 6 at 19:27, 62 minutes down

Poor show from Irish Rail on numerous fronts
1 Toilet in first class not working
2 Catering stock was not replenished in Cork, no sandwiches on the trolley
3 Shocking ride I lost my footing several times on the way to the buffet
4 PIS was broken again
5 Loco push pull system died at Kildare, why on earth didn't they simply uncouple it and stick it on the front ??
6 Despite the fact the 50% refund clause was clearly in play we where not told
7 Farce of stopping in Inchicore twice
8 Delay of 1900 to Cork as a side effect

And of course what was on the back, yes a big ugly orange lump so much for image and service presentation

[Derek Wheeler]

P11 committee meeting was in Thurles today. This latest mishap is the second inside a week to be witnessed by P11 representatives.

The well documented problems with these new trains continues.

PIS is a disaster.
The "successful" integration of the 201 class loco and new coaches is open to question.
The train in question was full of Cork hurling supporters, who were more than likely "experiencing" the "new" train for the first time. Look what they got.
The "ride quality" is a joke. Furthermore, there were noticeable vibrations in the floor and tables of the coach travelled in.

From a customer service point of view, the "unwillingness" to announce the refund policy, is a blatant mickey take on the customer charter. Its the second example noticed by P11, inside 7 days.

From the top down, IE management, are displaying all the inepitude, of a surfer trying to find waves on the north face of mount Everest. No doubt they will have carefully prepared excuses. But those of us who know the score, realise that its all hot air.

[Derek Wheeler]

While some may not fully appreciate the issue of a "mismatched" colour scheme on the loco, P11 highlighted this over a year ago. Its important for the following reason.

This new train is an advertisement for the latest developments on our rail network. When viewed from a road, station or bridge, a gap in the asthetic value, caused by a mismatched loco colour scheme, sends out a poor message. It justs looks bad.(Its bad enough that a 10 year old loco is part of it, in the first place) While we have to tend with a "laurel and Hardy" approach to development, we are entitled to question why IE did not order matching locos for this service. This would have improved the overall asthetic value and perhaps negated the problems that have beset this lumbering piece of "make and do".

Note that all the TV campiagns and promotional material, fail to show the "freight loco" at one end.(even in a matching paint job) Emphasis is always on the "pointy bit". IE know its a con job and half arsed attempt at 21st century product.

We predicted it wouldn't take long for IE to fall back to their old ways. We got the first snap of it. Watch out for the new liveried locos hauling the Enterprise, if it hasn't already happened. Asthetics mean a lot. The Luas has built itself around the "sexiness" of its rolling stock. People are influenced by this. A moving train, is a moving ad, to those watching from a roadside.

[sean]

Originally Posted by Derek Wheeler

Watch out for the new liveried locos hauling the Enterprise, if it hasn't already happened.

My understanding is that this is already commonplace. Ditto for ordinary Intercity services.

[sandraoh]

Originally Posted by Derek Wheeler

From a customer service point of view, the "unwillingness" to announce the refund policy, is a blatant mickey take on the customer charter. Its the second example noticed by P11, inside 7 days.

Are they supposed to tell us we are entitled to a refund? I've never seen that happen. When I was dealyed last Wednesday no announcement was made. I told everyone in my carriage when I was getting off and they seemed surprised. What really gets me is that they usually don't apologise for delays until they have reached the final stop even though people getting off at intermediate stops have also been delayed and arrived late at their destination.

[Mark Gleeson]

I told most of the people in my carriage about it, in fact I joked about the fact just to piss IE off a few extra minutes to make it a 1 hour delay was worth it, at the time of leaving Kildare assuming a non stop run we would have scraped in under the hour but we had a double stop in Inchicore which pushed us into the 1 hour window

No one knew on train about the refund and they where very interested when I explained about how it works

When Happy came on the PA and said 1 hour delay it was don't forget to get the refund. No one was told of there right to a refund, some quick math if everyone on board filled in the form IE would be €3300 out of pocket by my estimates

I then marched into the customer info desk Heuston for the form (I wanted a copy of the new one) and was dealt with promptly

[Oisin88]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

No one knew on train about the refund and they where very interested when I explained about how it works

There should be a permanent notice in Hesuton and on trains to tell people. Some people don't even believe you when you tell them but it can make the mood on a late train much happier, particularly when you are looking at timings that are coming close to the hour or the two hour.

Last week after we hit the Offaly cow the carriage was a bit like a table at a wedding. I'd say there was people willing to bet the money they were going to get as a refund on whether or not the train would get it under the 2 hours.

[Derek Wheeler]

Right folks. Ive been quiet of late. Press release regarding the "announcement" of refunds where applicable is on the way. All thoughts and suggestions here have been taken into account. Thanks.

[James Shields]

Originally Posted by Derek Wheeler

Watch out for the new liveried locos hauling the Enterprise, if it hasn't already happened. Asthetics mean a lot. The Luas has built itself around the "sexiness" of its rolling stock. People are influenced by this. A moving train, is a moving ad, to those watching from a roadside.

Like this you mean:



Photo taken 02 Mar 2005.

Personally I think it looks a heck of a lot better than the orange ones. There are only four in proper Enterprise livery, so you don't see those too often.