[article] Rail user group concerned about DART overcrowding

[Inniskeen]

This is the right move for a lot of reasons notably economy, security and reduction in vandalism. Near empty eight car trains rattling around on late evening services has been a scandal for years affording no benefit to anybody other than those engaging in anti-social behaviour and vandalism.

A two-car DART is probably adequate for most off-peak services although there will inevitably be some overcrowding caused by relatively minor variations in traffic. Having said that, it is an urban transport system and a proportion of standing passengers in and approaching the city centre shouldn't be that big a deal.

While commercial reality and common sense support the reduction in set sizes at this time, it is disturbing that the DART service is no longer attacting the patronage to justify 4-car sets at off-peak periods. Four car sets were introduced off peak in the late 1980s due to demand.

If I were the DART operator I would also be trying to identify why the service has lost it sheen. Is it price, reliability, journey time, accessibility, security, the condition of stations, improved road infrastructure, better bus services ?

Per AECOM and the CSO, DART patronage (in 2011) appears to have been around 16 million journeys per annum, similar to usage way back in in 1987 (prior to fleet expansion and the Malahide and Greystones extensions). In 2011 Drogheda, Maynooth and Kildare suburban services accounted for a further 12 million journeys split roughly 6, 4 and 2 million respectively.