Sligo trains

[PLUMB LOCO]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

I'm talking of a 9pm train here, nothing crazy

While the classic costs issue raises its head, the railway has a massive fixed cost the only way to seriously alter the financial position is to sweat the assets and get value from the investment, more trains more passengers

Rail services are still at a quite low level compared to the UK in particular and it is crazy the last train west of Maynooth is still 19:05

One word - Fastrack!

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by PLUMB LOCO

One word - Fastrack!

For which the passenger is paying through the nose as it loses cash and requires every station to be staffed enroute

[jscales1]

Folks if we keep the eight services we have on the Sligo line at the moment in the current environment I will be happy. I think the service has turned around this year will all trains fifty to sixty % full in either direction. I would suggest if you want to get a 21:00 train west of Maynooth is to get rid of the 17:15 or 18:18 trains and sent the 18:00 train to Longford with eight carriages and get rid of the 20:50 train from Longford to Dublin since there is a train at 20:20 ex Sligo. I think rosslare europort could do with another train at peak time since there is an expansion going on at the moment of the Carpark. I also suggest that Irish rail start making use of the tunnel from Hueston to Connolly and introduce a cork to Belfast service and Galway to Waterford service and Sligo to Gorey and Westport to Tralee service all via Connolly and Hueston to capitalize on the train investment. There is definitely use for that tunnel now instead of forking out borrowed money for more trains. I know that the sligo trains sit waiting until the next service is ready sometimes for an hour

[on the move]

The peak time trains can't be removed, but I would like to see later services than the last train out of Sligo and Longford.

Agree with use of the tunnel. It's a farce that it's not used.

[PLUMB LOCO]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

For which the passenger is paying through the nose as it loses cash and requires every station to be staffed enroute

You really are getting desperate in your answer to this question! You talk about sweating the assets - you really haven't a notion do you? What private company would last a week operating the way IE do? Trains passing throughout most of the 26/32 counties, stopping at already staffed stations and they turn away the simplest type of business imaginable. Indeed, what private company would order a new fleet of trains and exclude the capacity to carry parcels, traffic or serious amounts of luggage, bicycles etc. Not to mention the millions spent extending platforms when S.D.O. would have achieved the same result?

I think your argument that Fastrack has meant that every station has to be manned is outrageous as there are numerous other reasons why stations have been manned - ticket sales, signal cabins, toilets and station upkeep. It also ignores the fact that vast majority of the travelling public prefer to have stations manned for security reasons. I really don't know where you are coming from - who do you (and R.U.I) represent - some far right wing organisation like IBEC? Your vision for Irish railways seems to be of a largely unmanned system running nothing but spartan passenger sevices on a very skeletal system concentrated on Dublin - a vision which is a recipe for the eventual closure of the entire railway outside the Greater Dublin Area.

[Mark Gleeson]

Lets face some realities Irish Rail is in serious financial trouble, we are talking 30 odd million. The overtime paid to booking office staff last year is I'm told a 8 digit number. There is a serious need to review the staffing levels in order to meet the needs of the 21st century. There are heaps of stations which should be staffed, there are others which just don't have the numbers to justify it. Thats the European norm, having 4 staff on duty at a station with no more than 2 trains an hour doesn't add up

Curiously enough despite the majority of stations in Northern Ireland being unstaffed, they won a stack of customer service awards last week, why since they have focused on delivering the best service. We need to learn from them

We need an effective efficient passenger service, effective and efficient are not two words known to Irish Rail. There is a case for a later service to either Longford or Sligo, there is a train lying idle and a railway line lying idle

[jscales1]

I agree with Mark. I know that the station i use on a regular basis has a least seven station masters and there is a service every two hours and offpeak and hourly peak I think Irish rail needs to do a voluntary severence package and more automated services to reduce headcount. I know in Belfast Central there are only four in the station at anytime.

[PLUMB LOCO]

Originally Posted by jscales1

I agree with Mark. I know that the station i use on a regular basis has a least seven station masters and there is a service every two hours and offpeak and hourly peak I think Irish rail needs to do a voluntary severence package and more automated services to reduce headcount. I know in Belfast Central there are only four in the station at anytime.

Well bully for you. By the way which station in Ireland has 7 'station masters'?
In his reply to my post - if it was to my post - Mark showed all the hallmarks of his mortal enemies in IE. Just like Dick Fearn if he can't answer a specific point he ignores it.

[markpb]

Originally Posted by PLUMB LOCO

I think your argument that Fastrack has meant that every station has to be manned is outrageous as there are numerous other reasons why stations have been manned - ticket sales, signal cabins, toilets and station upkeep. It also ignores the fact that vast majority of the travelling public prefer to have stations manned for security reasons.

I'd tend to agree with you that Fasttrack should be retained but I disagree with staffing levels. Station upkeep can easily be contracted out to a cleaning company like most other companies (public and private) do. Ticket sales can be handled by a TVM or on-train staff. Signal cabins are heading into the past where they belong and lastly, wanting station staff must be an Irish thing because I've used rail systems in several countries and never felt the need for a human presence locked in an office somewhere. All those things can be done while retaining the same (or better) level of service for most customers.

At the end of the day, the aim of RUI is to achieve a better passenger rail system. If Mark is right and FastTrack is losing money, then keeping it is contrary to the aims. If you think he's wrong, there's nothing stopping you setting up a FastTrack lobby group yourself.

[sean]

+1. Though I do think restructuring FastTrack would have been better than axing it.

[sublimity]

Agreed. Fastrack should not have been axed.

[PLUMB LOCO]

But being CIE/IE and the fact that things are done differently in Ireland I bring you this recent gem!

"Fearn Dick" <Dick.Fearn@irishrail.ie>
Sent by: "Reardon Heidi" <Heidi.Reardon@irishrail.ie>
11/02/2009 14:27
To <thomas.broughan@oireachtas.ie>
cc
Subject RE: FasTrack


Dear Deputy,

I refer to your e-mail below regarding Iarnrod Eireann's decision to withdraw from the Fastrack service.

The cessation of this element of Iarnrod Eireann?s business followed a management review undertaken in the second half of 2008.

However special arrangements will be made to continue handling medical items due to the important nature of this particular service. Mr. Gerry Conlon, Manager Fastrack will be in contact with customers in due course to outline the details of the revised service.

Many thanks

Dick Fearn

[sublimity]

But the 22ks aren't able to accomodate fastrack packages.

Does this mean Mk3's will be retained to accomodate some fastrack 'medical' services?

[Mark Gleeson]

This is a passenger forum, if you want to bitch about Fastrack talk to IBEC or ISME. And yes there are facilities to carry parcels on a 22k and are being used right now

[sublimity]

sorry, got a bit carried away with the fastrack issue. apologies

[PLUMB LOCO]

Originally Posted by sublimity

sorry, got a bit carried away with the fastrack issue. apologies

God help you! Are you a man or a mouse?

[Mark Gleeson]

Thats enough