Packed 4-coach 22k this morning

[James Howard]

That's the sheer stupidity of it - 8 coaches! About 3 people standing in my carriage to Maynooth but with seats available. After Maynooth about half full, after Mullingar less than 20% seats occupied.

I can't really see how this is saving them fuel or running costs. If a 22k isn't more efficient than a 29k on long runs, then they have made a right mess of designing them and they are running 8x29ks when 4x22 would do fine.

The real solution of capacity, comfort and efficiency on the Longford commuter service would be to limit the stops of the Longford trains to Maynooth, possibly Clonsilla and Drumcondra. I would happily trade that against the loss of the 1715 and they could provision the two early morning trains using a 3-4 22k formation for the 1805.

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by James Howard

That's the sheer stupidity of it - 8 coaches! About 3 people standing in my carriage to Maynooth but with seats available. After Maynooth about half full, after Mullingar less than 20% seats occupied.

I can't really see how this is saving them fuel or running costs. If a 22k isn't more efficient than a 29k on long runs, then they have made a right mess of designing them and they are running 8x29ks when 4x22 would do fine.

The real solution of capacity, comfort and efficiency on the Longford commuter service would be to limit the stops of the Longford trains to Maynooth, possibly Clonsilla and Drumcondra. I would happily trade that against the loss of the 1715 and they could provision the two early morning trains using a 3-4 22k formation for the 1805.

Presumably they need the longer train in the morning hence the 8 x 29.

Look on the bright side - everyone should be getting a seat and the morning service should not be so crowded.

[AD11]

The Irish Rail business model seems to be charge more and supply less.

[joey]

Now here we go this morning again 0900 ex Sligo to Connolly 4 car 22k set

When booking online I selected my seat myself. A double seat forward facing (not a four seater with table). Upon selection I recall being shown a six car set three of which where "X" out - could not select seats in these carriages. So getting on board this morning I find that coach c is not the end coach and that my seat number is in the middle of the carriage at a four seater with table. Obviously screwed up as it's a four car set now not a three.

Let's see how busy we get

[joey]

Not as busy today as it was on a previous Friday, capacity was prob just right on this occasion.

[berneyarms]

Shows you how difficult it can be to predict loadings - what was so special about the previous Friday that you travelled on I wonder?

[James Howard]

It seemed particularly quiet on the 0545 this morning as well. Obviously nobody got on past Enfield as the previous train was late enough to pick up the passengers normally taking the express, but even before it was very lightly loaded.

Perhaps people are avoiding travelling Fridays after the overcrowding over the past few weeks.

[huggy]

4 Car set on a Friday evening to Galway ,

Arrive train side at 5pm(ten minutes early) unable to board as packed to the rafters. Last into the creche

[Jamie2k9]

Originally Posted by huggy

4 Car set on a Friday evening to Galway ,

Arrive train side at 5pm(ten minutes early) unable to board as packed to the rafters. Last into the creche

5.10 Heuston-Athlone, extended to Westport on Friday? Very strange it was a 4 piece as it was upped to a 7 piece in previous weeks. The 15.00 to Cork failed and a replacement train was required at Portlaoise so it could of being because of that as the 5.25 to Limerick was delayed departing also.

[joey]

Here we go again on a Friday evening, 1700 ex Dublin to Sligo jammed.

Should this service not be upped to a 7 pr a 9 car set?

Learnt lesson from last time and got my seat but the car I'm in there is plenty standing the full length if it.

Could ease after Longford. But this is my argument, Longford commuters are using this express service rather than the 1715 which is a commuter... Is there any need for the latter service given that all seem to be on the 1700 - which could be extended if the 1715 was aborted at maynooth using a four car set

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by joey

Here we go again on a Friday evening, 1700 ex Dublin to Sligo jammed.

Should this service not be upped to a 7 pr a 9 car set?

Learnt lesson from last time and got my seat but the car I'm in there is plenty standing the full length if it.

Could ease after Longford. But this is my argument, Longford commuters are using this express service rather than the 1715 which is a commuter... Is there any need for the latter service given that all seem to be on the 1700 - which could be extended if the 1715 was aborted at maynooth using a four car set

What length is it?

It tends to help everyone if you actually tell us!! ;-)

[joey]

Six set

[James Howard]

The 1715 is no use whatsoever to Longford commuters. It takes about 15 minutes longer and the 29k is not a suitable train for spending a 2 hour journey. The 1715 is usually an 8-car train and takes about 40 passengers west of Enfield.

Longford commuters (me being one of them) are perfectly entitled to take the faster service - we pay handsomely for the privilege of taking the train every day and contribute considerably more to Irish Rail's bottom line than people taking the busiest train of the week once a week.

I have now started avoiding the 1805 (and I'm not the only one) as I can't bear spending 10 hours a week on a 29k. I'm swapping between the 1705 and the 1905 although the latter is a pain as it is consistently 10 or 15 minutes late into Edgeworthstown.

I reckon 7 cars is the limit for 22Ks on Sligo. They might just squeeze 8 cars onto the platforms but it would be very close.

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by joey

Six set

Thanks!

Nine piece sets cannot be accommodated on Sligo. Seven piece is the limit.

I imagine that the 15:05 has been strengthened to a seven piece due to the high student loading - hence this one is a six piece.

Lets be honest - that train is no shorter than it was anytime last year.

[Jamie2k9]

There is a pic on IE twitter of the train and it's very bad. Still not shorter than last year but numbers must be up. A 7 piece train won't sort the problem from the picture online. There will need to be a 3 or 4 peice Friday only service to sort it out so a departure at 16.45 or so will only solve it.

[James Howard]

A couple of other options

• Push the 1715 back 10 minutes and make it express to Maynooth. This would make it attractive as a Longford service
• Extend the 1805 to Sligo

The real problem is that whatever is done has to be slotted in immediately ahead of a Maynooth service so as not to get caught behind.

The crazy thing about the timetable is that there are trains to Sligo at 1505, 1600 and 1705 when the real rush is after 1700. I've never understood the need for the 1600 to Sligo - would it not make a bit more sense to run it to Longford and have the 1805 go all the way?

[Jamie2k9]

Originally Posted by James Howard

A couple of other options

• Push the 1715 back 10 minutes and make it express to Maynooth. This would make it attractive as a Longford service
• Extend the 1805 to Sligo

The real problem is that whatever is done has to be slotted in immediately ahead of a Maynooth service so as not to get caught behind.

The crazy thing about the timetable is that there are trains to Sligo at 1505, 1600 and 1705 when the real rush is after 1700. I've never understood the need for the 1600 to Sligo - would it not make a bit more sense to run it to Longford and have the 1805 go all the way?

According to Barry Kenny the 5.05 was 4 coaches and not 6 coaches which seems to explain the problem. A problem was cited for the reduction and it would be back to full capacity on Monday.

[James Howard]

Well that explains it then. Probably all the 22Ks were busy running to M3 Parkway so that they couldn't provide space on the busiest Sligo train of the week.

[ThomasJ]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

According to Barry Kenny the 5.05 was 4 coaches and not 6 coaches which seems to explain the problem. A problem was cited for the reduction and it would be back to full capacity on Monday.

And according to the NTA cencus recently published, the 5.05 is the busiest service on the Longford/Sligo line.

[James Howard]

It doesn't quite take a census to figure that the 1705 is the busiest train. The 1705 is busy every day but on Friday it is always jammers. They could easily fill 9 cars for that train on a Friday if they were able to offer it so to try to do it with 4 is just absurd. I can generally get out of the office early on a Friday but I can't be bothered now as the 1705 is just too busy.

Pulling that kind of stunt just drives business away. This messing over the last few months has me seriously thinking about ways to get out of the commute which I've been doing for over 9 years now. It is quite obvious that Irish Rail don't give a damn about this customer who has contributed 30 grand to their bottom line over this time.

And since the re-configuration, the normal pattern for the 1705 is 7 coaches. I took it on Wednesday and it was standing-only to Enfield so even with 7 coaches, you would have people standing to Mullingar. So to cut that to 4 is craziness.