Intercity journey experiences

[Mr T.]

Friday 12 Jan 2007: 18:00 from Heuston

At 18:05 (we still hadn't pulled out of Heuston) all passengers were informed to disembark from the train due to the need to test the doors. We all got off.
We stood out in the cold wind while the doors closed and opened a couple of times.
We all got back on.
The train pulled out (late).

My question is why the heck we had to get off the train so that they could test the doors? (Mark Gleeson is going to have an answer for this one, I can feel it in my bones as I type) I reckon myself it's because there was a risk that when they closed the doors we would all be trapped in an unthinkable form of hell....

Also, why did they wait until 5 minutes AFTER the train was due to depart before testing the doors? We were on the train 20 minutes at that stage.

[Mark Gleeson]

You don't need to be a engineering guru to work it out

Door tests are different since guess what they have to open the doors on both sides now clearly that not good with passengers on board.

In an emergency every door has a release, its the red handle over the door, brake glass pull down then give the door a shove outwards

Of course the test should be done before the train hits the platform, time is allocated to do this

[Mr T.]

Apologies for my ignorance. I wasn't aware that they were testing the doors on both sides of the train - in fact when they tested the doors only the doors on the platform side opened and closed. I don't have the insider information that others appear to have...

Thanks for your explanation. And the safety demonstration. I didn't realise there were emergency door releases. Is this a new thing? Those guys come up with some really cool inventions.

I must renew my guru card and sit the test again.

[Garrett]

Flew in from Paris today. 747 to city centre. Met a friend. Got the Luas (jammed) to Hewston. Got the 17:50 Galway train to Portarlinton. Train left on time, good train journey overall. Was in a good mood until we got (or half got) to Portarlington:

Train crawls into the station. Myself and two other passengers were at the door waiting for the platform to appear. We were at then back of the 3rd last carraige. No platform appeared.

Looked out a half open window and noticed that we were at the station but the platform was too short, then noticed people at the front end of the carriage disembarking. No announcements had been made.

Quickly hauled my luggage to the front and got off the train. The inspector was at the door so I asked him was it normal. He said that there appears to have been a signalling problem and that the train had pulled into platform 1 (eastbound) instead of the usual platform 2. I didn't mention anything about the lack of announcements.

As I was walking to the exit it occured to me that there may have been people in the last two carriages unaware that we were at the station. I tried pointing this out to a Portarlington station staff member on the platform. This is our conversation:
Me: "Maybe someone should make an announcement because there might be people at the back who might't know we're at the station."
IE guy: (Shruggs shoulders) "Nothing got to do with me."
Me: (Looking at the Iarnrod Eireann logo on his jumper) "It does say Iarnrod Eireann on your jumper, doesn't it?" (I was a bit pissed off, hence the smart ass comment)
IE guy: (getting visibly angry) "Listen! I'm not a train crew member, so it's got nothing to do with me!"
My parents arrived at that moment, so I let it go. The train started pulling off.

[Mark Gleeson]

There is nothing wrong with the 17:50 to Galway using the Dublin platform, it ensures the 18:00 ex Dublin gets a clear run.

There should be a PA to indicate the platform is short. It is a safety critical requirement

The platform staff can control the situation by requesting the train to pull forward so the rear coaches line up.

For a train to leave it goes platform staff give go -> guard acknowledges -> guard gives go to driver. So it is the platform staff problem and failure to act on safety situation is unacceptable

[Garrett]

From the inspector's response I got the impression that the 17:50 Dublin-Galway train does not normally stop on the eastbound platform at Portarlington. My parents told me that there was a bit of chaos at the station 2-3 minutes before the train arrived because passengers were waiting on platform 2 and the station staff were trying to get them over to platform 1.

Mark, how serious a safety breach was today's incident? Would IE even care?

[Mark Gleeson]

Its fairly serious

[2Funki4Wheelz]

17.50 normally stops on platform 2 - PA didn't even announce the stations when I was on it last Tuesday, nevermind short platform warnings.

[IT-Girl!]

About the short platform announcements - I'd say 50% of the time they'll announce the platform is short in Portarlington and advise people to move up. I notice it more on the trains that aren't so much commuter based, or in other words for the day trippers.

In other news - I remember seeing on a post ages ago about IE staff getting 'lifts home'. I was on the 21:00 cork train last friday (19th Jan) which is scheduled to stop 1st in Portarlington - at Kildare it slowed down and stopped briefly to let a member of staff in a big orange IE jacket get off the train.

[Mark Gleeson]

Any of the trains to/from Portlaoise/Thurles/Athlone are short enough to fit in Portarlington so no need for a PA.

The last two coaches of a intercity train will hang over the end of the platform. If there is no PA on one of those trains please advise us of date and time. As I understand it the new Cork train is on shaky legal ground stopping in Portarlington and Templemore

Despite over 1 billion euro of investment not one single cent was spent on the platforms or track in Portarlington.

The classic stop for staff purposes is a ongoing issue, I got it on Saturday evening seems we dropped a parcel off in Portlaoise. As far as I have seen no passenger train or DART has a timetabled non passenger stop for staff reasons of course we all know its a daily occurance

[Donal Quinn]

just for the record

21 jan 2007
14:55 Galway->heuston
first carraige (7114) was freezing (may or may not have been first-class - it's hard to tell...)
next carraige (7146) was warm but the volume on the announcement was so high that it lifted you out of it every time - the door wouldn't close all the way either and had stopped working at all by heuston

this thing of late announcements is silly too - not ush point in waiting until the train is at the platform in Clara before announcing it....

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by Donalq

this thing of late announcements is silly too - not ush point in waiting until the train is at the platform in Clara before announcing it....

Especailly since Clara has a tiny platform

[2Funki4Wheelz]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Despite over 1 billion euro of investment not one single cent was spent on the platforms or track in Portarlington.

It's coming in Feb allegedly (platform). Although I know it already got delayed a bit so we'll see whan it actually starts...

[Mark Gleeson]

Well the track was due to be sorted 2001, they only did half of it

Dublin bound is easy enough extend, Cork bound is way more complex, €30 million is the quote for everything

[Mr T.]

This train arrived in Heuston 6 mins BEFORE it's scheduled time today!

Now before we start celebrating, this rare time shift happened because it failed to stop in Sallins/Naas.

There were 2 announcements made telling passengers that the next stop was Sallins - unfortunately both came after we had passed through Sallins. In fact, one came between Clondalkin and Cherry Orchard. Just before we arrived in Heuston there was another announcement apologising saying that the train hadn't stopped in Sallins. But we all knew that already.

I actually became concerned when the train sped through Sallins and then through Hazelhatch (for some reason I thought it might stop there instead - perhaps the driver mixed up the stations) - I had visions of a driver slumped over the controls bringing us all to our doom (yeah - I know there's the dead man's lever/pedal/button but what if it failed...?) so I went looking for a guard/ticket checker and no-one was to be found. I went as far as the guards van and shouted into it but no-one responded. It was quite noisy in there anyways.

I know for a fact that this is not the first time that IE drivers have missed scheduled stops (I was on a train scheduled to stop in Kildare one evening a few years ago and it didn't stop - we all had to get out in Portarlington and wait ages for a train back... but that's a different story) and I assumed (maybe incorrectly) that signals should prevent a driver from missing a stop. If this is a case, this driver ran a red/amber light: which I believe is a serious offence in terms of health and safety.

I'm fed up writing to IE, so if anyone wants to raise this issue, feel free. By the way, the locomotive was emblazoned with the Enterprise logo and was called the River Clare.

[IT-Girl!]

Not sure if it was but I think the 17:50 last night from heuston either made an unscheduled stop at hazelhatch for 2 girls or it forgot to stop for them. Had the headphones on and didn't actually hear the announcement but there was a lot of shaking heads, tutting, and 2 frantic girls legging it off the train!

[ooleary]

07:20 from Kildare was also about 5 minutes early - this one did stop in Sallins. Even better - there were seats on it from Kildare, while the 07:16 looked like it would be standing room the whole way in.

[Mark Gleeson]

That makes 2 trains to miss stops for no reason other than lack of attention in the last week

On a railcar or indeed one of the push pull trains (ones with the automatic doors but openable windows) there is no guard, driver only, the safety systems will stop you no fear of that (well west of Athlone and south of Kildare if going to Athy there are no postive safety systems just the deadmans handle)

If IE are readling and I know they are the Gormanston accident of 21st October, 1974 should loom large in the mind, story goes train ran 23 miles out of control driverless guard didn't take action to stop the train, the report was never published as far as I can determine

Now I wonder what that communication cord will do if pulled ?

[tigger1962]

Hi,
This train arrived late and finally left at 15.35.. People were left standing in a queue for up to 50minutes with a freezing wind blowing. One passenger could be heard ringing customer support but he obviously didn't get much information! We eventually got boarded at 15.25. As per usual little or no information wss supplied to thse standing there.

[seamus kilcock]

Travelled on Mark IV DUB/CRK/DUB on Fri 26 Jan. 0700 to CRK; 1030 return.
Set 4001; Loco 222. Coach 4102 to CRK; 4101 return.

Left on time. Arrived CRK 0945 i.e. 8 mins early. The timetable padding works!!!
Ride no better or worse compared to Mark III.

Found it very difficult to make notes on my laptop - hitting incorrect key with every lurch - on the Thurles/Lim Jun section.
The 100mph section Lim Jun/Charleville was excellent by comparison. Overall a lot of work is required on the DUB/CRK line. As for 125mph – dream on!
Seats comfortable. Info scroll u/s one end of coach. Dining announcements had microphone distortion.
Return journey required an unscheduled stop at Lim Jun; pax bussed from Limerick due failure of DMU set and missed the earlier connection one hour earlier. Despite this arrived DUB 3 mins early. God bless timetable padding – again!!!!

Irish Rail has come a long way during the last 8 to 10 years. Prior to this it got no help from the government – it was starved of funds for investment. The result of the investment is there for all to see – whether it’s intercity, commuter or Dart.

Overall I came away with a good impression of the DUB/CRK/DUB service yesterday. Hopefully the rest of the services will reach the same standard asap.
It is so easy to be critical but credit where its due – everyone please!
My next report may not be as favourable – I am a realist; I’ve been using trains for over 50 years.