DART Operations

Inniskeen · 03-12-2013, 09:01

Yesterday, problems at Bray, resulted in the 0600 and 0630 ex Greystones departing 14 and 9 minutes late respectively. The 0620 from Bray left 16 minutes late.

No attempt was made to modify the running of any of these trains and as a consequence there were significant, largely avoidable delays, to the 0730 & 0740 from Malahide and the 0745 ex Howth. There were also consequential delays to the 0735 to Belfast, 0650 from Belfast as well as the 0647 & 0800 from Drogheda. Oddly there was a DART in the quarry at Malahide from around 0715, yet the 0730 from Malahide didn't leave until 0743. (The DART in the quarry forms the 0740 from Malahide and followed the normal routine yesterday departing about 0750).

Very poor operational management.

grainne whale · 03-12-2013, 09:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inniskeen

Yesterday, problems at Bray, resulted in the 0600 and 0630 ex Greystones departing 14 and 9 minutes late respectively. The 0620 from Bray left 16 minutes late.

No attempt was made to modify the running of any of these trains and as a consequence there were significant, largely avoidable delays, to the 0730 & 0740 from Malahide and the 0745 ex Howth. There were also consequential delays to the 0735 to Belfast, 0650 from Belfast as well as the 0647 & 0800 from Drogheda. Oddly there was a DART in the quarry at Malahide from around 0715, yet the 0730 from Malahide didn't leave until 0743. (The DART in the quarry forms the 0740 from Malahide and followed the normal routine yesterday departing about 0750).

Very poor operational management.

Yes, but it's the same for many routes, not just the DART, as you can see from postings on this site.

James Howard · 03-12-2013, 10:13

The same seems to happen every year in the autumn except for some reason last year. They trot out "leaf-fall" sometime in late September and then everything just gets sloppy until everybody gets a nice break over Christmas. In past years they used to do new timetable in early December which fixed everything but since they stopped doing that we have to wait until the new year.

By way of example, the 0545 from Sligo rolled into Edgeworthstown 10 minutes late (with the trolley pusher chatting to the driver in the cab for some reason). He waited there for at least another 5 minutes and had another 5 minutes rest in Mullingar. I didn't check signals. I didn't check the time at Maynooth but we left Enfield at 8:10 which is when that train is supposed to be in Maynooth. I guess they held the 8:18 for us because we made up most of the time between Maynooth and Connolly and only arrived in about 5 minutes late

But this kind of sloppy timekeeping would have a knock-on effect on the 8:18 from Maynooth which would then have held up the show joining the northern line and holding up everything there.

Inniskeen · 03-12-2013, 11:14

Maybe Irish Rail are smarter than it would appear and actually allow time in the schedule for staff interaction. Certain the 0818 from Maynooth has about 10 minutes to play with between Maynooth and Connolly !

grainne whale · 03-12-2013, 11:20

Leaves were not to blame this morning on the Kildare Route there was a problem with a train door at Newbridge Station - this seems to crop up from time to time I wonder if it's the same train and just has never been sorted out.

shweeney · 11-12-2013, 12:00

Don't know if its the warmer weather, but the Dart I was on last night did Pearse->Bray in under 35 minutes (and then had to sit in Bray waiting for the Greystones Dart to clear the line) whilst my Dart this morning was bang on time.

Every other Dart I've been on since early November has been late - is this a particularly bad year for "low rail adhesion", don't remember the service being so unreliable for so long in previous years.

03-12-2013, 09:01	#1
Inniskeen Really Regular Poster Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 951	DART Operations Yesterday, problems at Bray, resulted in the 0600 and 0630 ex Greystones departing 14 and 9 minutes late respectively. The 0620 from Bray left 16 minutes late. No attempt was made to modify the running of any of these trains and as a consequence there were significant, largely avoidable delays, to the 0730 & 0740 from Malahide and the 0745 ex Howth. There were also consequential delays to the 0735 to Belfast, 0650 from Belfast as well as the 0647 & 0800 from Drogheda. Oddly there was a DART in the quarry at Malahide from around 0715, yet the 0730 from Malahide didn't leave until 0743. (The DART in the quarry forms the 0740 from Malahide and followed the normal routine yesterday departing about 0750). Very poor operational management.

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03-12-2013, 10:13	#3
James Howard Really Really Regluar Poster Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Sligo Line Posts: 1,115	The same seems to happen every year in the autumn except for some reason last year. They trot out "leaf-fall" sometime in late September and then everything just gets sloppy until everybody gets a nice break over Christmas. In past years they used to do new timetable in early December which fixed everything but since they stopped doing that we have to wait until the new year. By way of example, the 0545 from Sligo rolled into Edgeworthstown 10 minutes late (with the trolley pusher chatting to the driver in the cab for some reason). He waited there for at least another 5 minutes and had another 5 minutes rest in Mullingar. I didn't check signals. I didn't check the time at Maynooth but we left Enfield at 8:10 which is when that train is supposed to be in Maynooth. I guess they held the 8:18 for us because we made up most of the time between Maynooth and Connolly and only arrived in about 5 minutes late But this kind of sloppy timekeeping would have a knock-on effect on the 8:18 from Maynooth which would then have held up the show joining the northern line and holding up everything there.

03-12-2013, 11:14	#4
Inniskeen Really Regular Poster Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 951	Maybe Irish Rail are smarter than it would appear and actually allow time in the schedule for staff interaction. Certain the 0818 from Maynooth has about 10 minutes to play with between Maynooth and Connolly !

03-12-2013, 11:20	#5
grainne whale Really Regular Poster Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Celbridge Posts: 259	Leaves were not to blame this morning on the Kildare Route there was a problem with a train door at Newbridge Station - this seems to crop up from time to time I wonder if it's the same train and just has never been sorted out.

11-12-2013, 12:00	#6
shweeney Regular Poster Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 180	Don't know if its the warmer weather, but the Dart I was on last night did Pearse->Bray in under 35 minutes (and then had to sit in Bray waiting for the Greystones Dart to clear the line) whilst my Dart this morning was bang on time. Every other Dart I've been on since early November has been late - is this a particularly bad year for "low rail adhesion", don't remember the service being so unreliable for so long in previous years.