Public Consultation PPT & Heuston Services 2016

[grainne whale]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

Not really, couple of options such as replicating the bay platform at Nass end with a set of points (signal equipment located currently at the bridge).

I believe IE have a little land at Dublin end of car pack, there is 2-3 houses there no occupied

I think that they may have been sold a while ago, but not developed yet.

[Mark Gleeson]

The current arrangements in Hazelhatch would support a train every 15 minutes without issue

You also have a turn back at Adamstown which again could support a train every 15 minutes without issue.

And of course the platform in Newbridge

There is space for headhunt south of Hazelhatch is needed but no extra platform needed

Plenty of places to hide trains

Car park isn't exactly full at any station enroute

[ThomasJ]

There was a points failure this afternoon meaning maynooth line services had to use Newcomen junction and the midland line.

If this had've happened this evening.......

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by ThomasJ

There was a points failure this afternoon meaning maynooth line services had to use Newcomen junction and the midland line.

If this had've happened this evening.......

I'm not sure what your point is?

Points failures can happen anywhere on the network from time to time and will cause disruption when they do.

Why you're particularly selecting the PPT services I don't know? if points fail at Howth Junction for example, Howth branch trains will be disrupted.

[James Howard]

Well given that the PPT services are in the public eye it's not unlikely that Irish Rail would have tried to save face by sending the PPT services down the midland line and had them do two reversals causing complete chaos for Maynooth services.

[ThomasJ]

Just read a comment from Irish rail on twitter that one of the afternoon peak Drogheda services now leaves pearse 3 minutes later to accommodate phoenix park services. Which seams fair enough but never highlighted unlike heuston services.

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by James Howard

Well given that the PPT services are in the public eye it's not unlikely that Irish Rail would have tried to save face by sending the PPT services down the midland line and had them do two reversals causing complete chaos for Maynooth services.

Come on - that's just getting ridiculous.

There's a level of reasoned debate and frankly that's just nonsense, let alone impossible given the signalling constraints.

[Kilocharlie]

The 1728 GDC-Newbridge, a 4-car ICR, was over 90% loaded today. Not bad after less than 2 weeks.

Hazelhatch service lag a little behind in loading.

The 1805 Heston-Portlaoise has been upgraded to a 7-car; it is a amalgamation of the 1755 and 1810 trains. Presumably they needed the 1755 slot for the 1728 from GCD.

[Inniskeen]

It will be interesting to see how this service evolves. Given that 95% to 99% of commuters on the Heuston routes travel to/from stations beyond Hazelhatch, services to Hazelhatch only will continue to do limited busines.

I imagine that Grand Canal Dock trains will be progressively extended westward ultimately displacing much of the Heuston commuter service.

Either way the start has been very positive although punctuality is closer to the less than stellar DART pattern than what would heretifore have been the case from Heuston.

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by Inniskeen

It will be interesting to see how this service evolves. Given that 95% to 99% of commuters on the Heuston routes travel to/from stations beyond Hazelhatch, services to Hazelhatch only will continue to do limited busines.

I imagine that Grand Canal Dock trains will be progressively extended westward ultimately displacing much of the Heuston commuter service.

Either way the start has been very positive although punctuality is closer to the less than stellar DART pattern than what would heretifore have been the case from Heuston.

It would be fair to say I think that the root cause of the timing problems (apart from the signal and points failures) has been the appalling performance of DART caused by the low rail adhesion - hopefully this should start to improve in the coming weeks.

They really need to consider a leaf fall DART timetable

[Jamie2k9]

For a line that is cleaned nightly and given the cold snap, leaf excuse is wearing very thin.....anyway we have a 10 minute DART to look forward to possibly by end of 2017 so PPT will turn into you typical commuter mess day in day out.

Yes this last week there was a few points faults causing problems (to be fair first in a while) but DART performance has not been acceptable for a long time. How many delays are caused by inadequate capacity?

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

For a line that is cleaned nightly and given the cold snap, leaf excuse is wearing very thin.....anyway we have a 10 minute DART to look forward to possibly by end of 2017 so PPT will turn into you typical commuter mess day in day out.

Yes this last week there was a few points faults causing problems (to be fair first in a while) but DART performance has not been acceptable for a long time. How many delays are caused by inadequate capacity?

Well look at the UK TOCs and you will see that they have been and still are being badly affected by leaf fall on lines that are being treated every day. The treatment helps but it doesn't eradicate it. It is still an issue and will be for a week or so more.

There shouldn't be capacity problems given the resignalling that has happened.

[Kilocharlie]

Originally Posted by Inniskeen

Either way the start has been very positive although punctuality is closer to the less than stellar DART pattern than what would heretofore have been the case from Heuston.

Trains have been typically 5 mins late at Drumcondra outbound but, so far, connections with Heuston-Portlaoise trains have been made on-time, at least when I used them. I wonder what's the limit before the connection will be broken?

The PIS at Drumcondra consistently shows a Maynooth service arriving 1st and then at the last minute switches to the Hazelhatch service. I suspect the Maynooth train is held at Connolly to allow the Hatch train to keep its schedule and the tight connections.

[Jamie2k9]

Well look at the UK TOCs and you will see that they have been and still are being badly affected by leaf fall on lines that are being treated every day. The treatment helps but it doesn't eradicate it. It is still an issue and will be for a week or so more.

There shouldn't be capacity problems given the resignalling that has happened.

I accept it's a problem but given the weather it's not good enough. If it was mild and wet it would in theory be much worse but I suspect we wouldn't notice any difference...

My capacity comment was in relation to dwell times at stations and is there adequate capacity been provided.

Trains have been typically 5 mins late at Drumcondra outbound but, so far, connections with Heuston-Portlaoise trains have been made on-time, at least when I used them. I wonder what's the limit before the connection will be broken?

The PIS at Drumcondra consistently shows a Maynooth service arriving 1st and then at the last minute switches to the Hazelhatch service. I suspect the Maynooth train is held at Connolly to allow the Hatch train to keep its schedule and the tight connections.

Most likely kept until they impact a Cork service!

Like all routes they have up to 5 minutes build into schedules at the end of journey.

[Kilocharlie]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

Most likely kept until they impact a Cork service!

Like all routes they have up to 5 minutes build into schedules at the end of journey.

Exactly!

It's fairly obvious that there's a 5 min margin built into the run time between Drumcondra and Parkwest and the Portlaoise trains fairly dawdle between Fonthill and the Hatch, another 5 min delay is probably accommodated. But, as you say, once it begins to impact IC, esp Cork, then the connections will break leaving long waits for some.