[16/05/2011] Connolly delays

[ThomasJ]

There was disruption at connolly this morning, seems to be back up but with delays

Services resuming through Connolly by Corporate Communications


Monday 16th May 9.55hrs

Services have resumed through Connolly Station however delays of up to 30 minutes still remain. These delays are due to signal fault which appears to be caused by vandalism.

Iarnród Éireann apologises for any inconvenience caused

interestingly, the signal fault that irish rail say was caused by vandalism was just north of connolly but had affected both north and west dublin services? how could someone access the area around connolly let alone the signalling?

[Mark Gleeson]

Irish Rail hid earlier problems

06:10 E200 Connolly Bray terminated Dalkey
06:25 E901 Bray Howth started Dalkey terminated Howth Junc
05:40 E800 Bray Malahide started Dalkey
06:00 E801 Greystones Malahide terminated Bray
07:45 E204 Howth Bray started Howth Junc

No mention on twitter etc. We are guessing overrunning engineering works

[Inniskeen]

This morning's problems at Connolly were the result of one or more track circuits failing to clear after the passage of a southbound DART. This resulted in the signalling system becoming "route locked" with points held in the position set for the incoming DART. The signals reading along the route taken by the DART could not be cleared again as the line was deemed to be still occupied.
Acts of vandalism tend not to occur at 0830 in the morning although, I suppose, the failure might have originated in malicious damage done some time previously.

[Mark Gleeson]

That was my assumption, something when wrong at the outer end of Connolly where a single train can in fact block most of the available routes.

Cables do break of there own accord if they are old, badly installed etc

[ColmmacO]

The delays were longer than the advertised 35 mins too expecially if you were connecting with a dart.
I was delayed over an hour having to wait for a connecting dart at pearse.

Incidentally the maynooth - connolly train (08.40) i was on passed out the earlier maynooth - pearse service (08.17) just outside connolly station. By my reckoning the maynooth pearse service arrived into connolly well over 55 minutes later than scheduled.

[Rashers]

I was stuck on a Newry-Bray service from Howth Junction to Connolly for an extra 15 mins. Not a single announcement by the driver. No announcements on the platforms at Connolly, Tara or Pearse while I was stuck waiting. Also nothing on the LED displays. Website updated around 10.30am.

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...reaking19.html

Dublin rail services return to normal

Commuter train and Dart services through Connolly Station in Dublin have returned to normal following an earlier disruption to services.

All northside trains to and from station, including Maynooth services, were stopped for a time this morning because of a signal fault which was blamed on vandalism.

Even after the problem was rectified and train services resumed, passengers experienced delays of up 30 minutes for much of the morning because of congestion.

Iarnród Éireann said the congestion caused by the fault was now over but apologised to passengers for the inconvenience.