[16/4 - 4/5/2007] Mayo services

Mark Gleeson · 04-04-2007, 08:47

We all knew this was coming, note again a stupid error in the text

Quote:

General News

Westport/Ballina to Athlone - resignalling project - services affected April 16th to May 4th 2007 by Corporate Communications

A major re-signalling project on the Westport / Ballina route will be commissioned on 5th May 2007.

The project involves the replacement of the current mechanical signalling system by a state of the art computerised signalling system on the Roscommon to Westport and Ballina section of the track.

This work is part funded by the Irish Government under Transport 21 and the European Regional Development Fund.

To complete this commissioning, trains between Westport / Ballina and Athlone will be suspended during the period - 16th April to 4th May 2007.

Alternative Bus transport will be provided between these Stations.

Normal services will operate between Athlone and Dublin. The following are the delays and alterations to Timetables.

WESTPORT / BALLINA – DUBLIN

Departure times are advanced at all Stations between Westport / Ballina and Athlone by 30 MINUTES. A Bus connection is provided to Athlone Station to connect with onward train to Dublin. (Please note times are advanced at all stations Monday to Sunday included.) Substitute Buses will operate for all services between Westport / Ballina and Athlone until from April 16th to May 4th 2007.

DUBLIN – WESTPORT / BALLINA

Passengers will be transferred from Athlone to their destination by Bus. This will result in a delayed arrival of approximately 20/30 minutes.

A revised timetable is available from all Iarnród Eireann Stations on the Route, or by phoning 1850 366222 or log on to www.irishrail.ie

This work represents a total investment of €30 million on the Westport / Ballina – Dublin Route.

Mobility Impaired Customers

Intending passengers who have mobility impairment or who have special needs should contact their local Station Manager in advance.

We wish to apologise for delays and inconvenience caused by this essential work.

Oisin88 · 04-04-2007, 10:37

These trains will inevitably be late on the Athlone to Dublin stretch causing delays to all Galway trains at crossover points.

Why can they not do it in phases and not have to cut out the whole Mayo route at one time?

ACustomer · 04-04-2007, 11:04

If they did the job in phases the sum of the 2 or more phases might exceed the time taken to do it all at once. Also, while the phase nearest Dublin (Athlone-Claremorris?) was being done, you would have train Westport-Claremorris, then change to Bus as far as Athlone and then back on the train for Athlone-Dublin. Would that be any better? I don't think so.

On the other hand while the Claremorris-Ballina-Westport bit was being sone, there would be a gain. But taken overall, I don't think the strategy is too bad.

Mark Gleeson · 04-04-2007, 11:11

Real question is why the Claremorris Athlone section cannot be sorted by the first week

StephenM · 11-04-2007, 09:29

I would have thought sending Ballina/Westport people to Athlone would take much longer than sending us to Longford or somewhere on the Sligo line. The likes of Castlerea/Roscommon loads are not that big and so would comfortably fit on a Galway train I'm sure!

Mark Gleeson · 11-04-2007, 09:55

But you won't fit on the Sligo train particularly on a Friday, now if we could have one of the Westport Mk3 or Mk2 sets you could make inroads into the capacity issue note a ticket to Westport/Ballina is valid to Sligo as well

If I was going by road Longford is the route I'd take, while the idea is good it would be extremely confusing different times, different stations, two different set of buses. The trains to Westport from Heuston must still run or else connections elsewhere fall apart

StephenM · 11-04-2007, 10:05

You can understand why sending all on the one train even though it may be faster to use a split via Longford. Just have to use Aer Arann instead I think!

Oisin88 · 11-04-2007, 17:57

Funny though the way lines work. I had a similar problem at the weekend in Britain on a Leeds Metro. Wanted to go to a place called Keighley which is on the Airedale line. There were engineering works so there was a bus to a place called Shipley. It took an hour where the train normally takes 15 minutes.

On the way back we just went to bradford (5 mins by train from Shipley) walked 5 minutes across Bradford to another station and from there it was 15 minutes by train to Leeds.

You would think they would have told us that before they put us on a bus for an hour.

Mark Gleeson · 04-05-2007, 12:59

16:15 Dublin Ballina will run tonight

17:45 Dublin Westport also runs but passengers for Ballina must change for a bus at Claremorris (the Ballina branch railcar is still in Drogheda)

Colm Donoghue · 04-05-2007, 13:21

And the line will close again tomorrow...

from Irish Rail's website
Saturday 5th May

18.05 Westport to Heuston will operate to Athlone only. Bus transfers will operate from Athlone to Clara, Tullamore, Portarlington and Heuston.

StephenM · 07-05-2007, 22:50

I see some trackwork changes took place too, no longer possible to run-round on the platform line in Ballina, you need to switch to one of the other lines. Also Manualla junction has been totally changed, new platform and point work. Pitty there is nowhere to go when its raining, just open platform!

Also why is most of Castlerea's platfrom 2 dug up? I cant remember if it was even usable today.

04-04-2007, 10:37	#2
Oisin88 Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Dublin Posts: 608	These trains will inevitably be late on the Athlone to Dublin stretch causing delays to all Galway trains at crossover points. Why can they not do it in phases and not have to cut out the whole Mayo route at one time? __________________ !

11-04-2007, 17:57	#8
Oisin88 Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Dublin Posts: 608	Funny though the way lines work. I had a similar problem at the weekend in Britain on a Leeds Metro. Wanted to go to a place called Keighley which is on the Airedale line. There were engineering works so there was a bus to a place called Shipley. It took an hour where the train normally takes 15 minutes. On the way back we just went to bradford (5 mins by train from Shipley) walked 5 minutes across Bradford to another station and from there it was 15 minutes by train to Leeds. You would think they would have told us that before they put us on a bus for an hour. __________________ !

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

04-04-2007, 11:04	#3
ACustomer Really Regular Poster Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 767	If they did the job in phases the sum of the 2 or more phases might exceed the time taken to do it all at once. Also, while the phase nearest Dublin (Athlone-Claremorris?) was being done, you would have train Westport-Claremorris, then change to Bus as far as Athlone and then back on the train for Athlone-Dublin. Would that be any better? I don't think so. On the other hand while the Claremorris-Ballina-Westport bit was being sone, there would be a gain. But taken overall, I don't think the strategy is too bad.

04-04-2007, 11:11	#4
Mark Gleeson Technical Officer Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Coach C, Seat 33 Posts: 12,669	Real question is why the Claremorris Athlone section cannot be sorted by the first week

11-04-2007, 09:29	#5
StephenM Regular Poster Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Back using the car due poor service Posts: 135	I would have thought sending Ballina/Westport people to Athlone would take much longer than sending us to Longford or somewhere on the Sligo line. The likes of Castlerea/Roscommon loads are not that big and so would comfortably fit on a Galway train I'm sure!

11-04-2007, 09:55	#6
Mark Gleeson Technical Officer Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Coach C, Seat 33 Posts: 12,669	But you won't fit on the Sligo train particularly on a Friday, now if we could have one of the Westport Mk3 or Mk2 sets you could make inroads into the capacity issue note a ticket to Westport/Ballina is valid to Sligo as well If I was going by road Longford is the route I'd take, while the idea is good it would be extremely confusing different times, different stations, two different set of buses. The trains to Westport from Heuston must still run or else connections elsewhere fall apart

11-04-2007, 10:05	#7
StephenM Regular Poster Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Back using the car due poor service Posts: 135	You can understand why sending all on the one train even though it may be faster to use a split via Longford. Just have to use Aer Arann instead I think!

04-05-2007, 12:59	#9
Mark Gleeson Technical Officer Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Coach C, Seat 33 Posts: 12,669	16:15 Dublin Ballina will run tonight 17:45 Dublin Westport also runs but passengers for Ballina must change for a bus at Claremorris (the Ballina branch railcar is still in Drogheda)

04-05-2007, 13:21	#10
Colm Donoghue Really Regular Poster Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 873	And the line will close again tomorrow... from Irish Rail's website Saturday 5th May 18.05 Westport to Heuston will operate to Athlone only. Bus transfers will operate from Athlone to Clara, Tullamore, Portarlington and Heuston.

07-05-2007, 22:50	#11
StephenM Regular Poster Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Back using the car due poor service Posts: 135	I see some trackwork changes took place too, no longer possible to run-round on the platform line in Ballina, you need to switch to one of the other lines. Also Manualla junction has been totally changed, new platform and point work. Pitty there is nowhere to go when its raining, just open platform! Also why is most of Castlerea's platfrom 2 dug up? I cant remember if it was even usable today.