MK4 use

[Mickey H]

Is it possible to tell from the IE website which Cork trains are Mk4? I understand they are looking to reduce the number of sets in use and that some trains are Mk4 only at weekends

[Jamie2k9]

The typical schedule currently on weekdays is:

07.00, 17.00, 18.00, 19.00 to Cork
06.00, 07.00. 10.20, 20.20 to Dublin

The 10.00, 12.00 and 13.20, 15.20 on Friday and Saturdays.

[KeithYoung]

What's the rationale for taking the sets out of use? It seems odd given they were designed for that route?

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by KeithYoung

What's the rationale for taking the sets out of use? It seems odd given they were designed for that route?

Cheaper to run a 3-car 22000 than a 7-car Mark 4.

[Jamie2k9]

Cheaper to run a 3-car 22000 than a 7-car Mark 4.

No 3 car sets operate, 4/5/6 only however its cheaper to run smaller trains but charge people for seats which they don't usually get on plenty of services. The 14.00, 15.00 and 16.00 services usually exceed capacity even on quiet days.

[ACustomer]

I don't have the details, but the number of Mk4 services has increased recently and at least one extra set has been brought back into service.

Also when 4-car ICR sets are rostered they are frequently supplemented by a 3-car or a second 4-car. So while there may be overcrowding at times (when wasn't there?), they seem to have adjusted things to meet increasing demand over the past year.

BTW capacity is as follows: M4 8 car 373 standard plus 44 first class.
5-car ICR 304, of which 32 are first class
4-car ICR 262
3-car ICR 190

So a 4+3 car ICR holds more than a Mk4. Remember the Mk4 has relatively little seating in the first 3 coaches (including none in the DVT).

[Jamie2k9]

Originally Posted by ACustomer

I don't have the details, but the number of Mk4 services has increased recently and at least one extra set has been brought back into service.

Also when 4-car ICR sets are rostered they are frequently supplemented by a 3-car or a second 4-car. So while there may be overcrowding at times (when wasn't there?), they seem to have adjusted things to meet increasing demand over the past year.

BTW capacity is as follows: M4 8 car 373 standard plus 44 first class.
5-car ICR 304, of which 32 are first class
4-car ICR 262
3-car ICR 190

So a 4+3 car ICR holds more than a Mk4. Remember the Mk4 has relatively little seating in the first 3 coaches (including none in the DVT).

A fourth set is back however it's not exactly required outside of Friday/Saturday/Sunday. It is only operating the the other days most likely to cut double maintenance costs.

Given there is 4 free sets IE should be in a position to cut CityGold and 1 Standard class off a set and reduce it to 6, same capacity as a ICR (5 coach). First class is non existent when 22's are restored anyway and most are used to reduce overcrowding. Might even go as far as cutting the Dinning cart to.

As for the general overcrowding question it has always existed and always will however its not being managed effectively. Now they are improving but people who still have to stand for 1h15m-30m on service is perfectly normal today.

The 18.10 to Portlaoise has being reduced recently (probably one of the busiest evening commuter service) so we are back to the question of how come IE can't provide full capacity for this service but yet they are able to provide 3 22 units on Dublin-Cork at the same time.

Now they say the 18.10 is reduction is "temporary" however what they are mean is we have decided to cut this service and it will continue to be reduced until we believe it needs to be restored.

[James Howard]

If it's anything like the 1805 to Longford, Irish Rail are probably hoping that the demand will evaporate from the 1810 to Portlaoise and then they won't have to restore it. The Longford train used to have 200 people going at Mullingar on it a few years back - I got it one day last week for the first time in months and there were about 10 people in my carriage leaving Enfield.

Meanwhile, a work colleague was complaining about 22Ks running to Docklands this week because he couldn't get on at Ashtown as standees wouldn't move past the vestibule. The use of 22Ks on short-distance commuter services is just nuts but this is a recurrent issue with Irish Rail - they seem to think that a Longford or Portlaoise commute requires the same equipment and stopping pattern as a Maynooth or Kildare commute.

[KSW]

Originally Posted by Colm Moore

Cheaper to run a 3-car 22000 than a 7-car Mark 4.

All routes in Ireland should really be all Electrified by this stage be a lot cheaper. And upgrade all routes TGV style so we can have a decent high speed service. That certainly would reduce cars on the roads. Getting to places half and half that time

[Kilocharlie]

Originally Posted by James Howard

The use of 22Ks on short-distance commuter services is just nuts but this is a recurrent issue with Irish Rail - they seem to think that a Longford or Portlaoise commute requires the same equipment and stopping pattern as a Maynooth or Kildare commute.

There are almost no Kildare commuter runs; they're all Portlaoise except a morning and evening to Newbridge and the 23:10 to Kildare and Sundays. Many of the Portlaoise run double up as stock movements to/from the depot so the 22ks are not totally wasted on commuter runs.

[Jamie2k9]

Those Mark 4s gathering dust when a 6 coach weny to Cork at 16.00 however passengers on the 15.10 to Waterford were left standing on a 4 coach from 14.35. When you think IE cant be any more incompetent they always pull something out of the bag. High amount of online/group bookings and people were left behind. Expect the same to Dublin on Sunday as IE seem to have not additional capacity planned.

IE were fully aware it was going to happen to!