New Timetable from 9 September.

[James Howard]

Another relatively low-cost improvement would be to have the current 17:17 terminate at Maynooth, run it back into town and use that unit to provide a later service to Longford. This is currently effectively an empty stock movement as it is of little use to anyone going further than Maynooth.

Another big improvement would be to provide earlier services to Dublin on weekend mornings - again from Longford would be good enough to start. First arrivals into Dublin at 10 and 12 on Saturday and Sunday are really not good enough - particularly from Longford and Mullingar which are not that far from Dublin.

I agree with Jamie2K9, the current changes are pointless - adding an extra service each way at time of very low demand is just a waste. What customers need are more services when they can use them - not changes that the NTA can point to and say that now we have X services per day.

The NTA seem to have a real focus on increasing the numbers of services at all costs irrespective of whether or not these services are actually wanted - this is that same thinking brought us 10 minute DART at a cost of massive overcrowding, regular calculations and a virtual collapse of the timetable. There is no point in adding more services if the result of the extra service is ongoing disruption to what is there already.

[ThomasJ]

Im looking forward to the new timetable starting tomorrow. The half hourly frequencies all day mon-fri upto 9, up to 7 Saturday upto 7 Sunday and the later Sunday trains up to 11pm. Vast improvement.

One additional point. The last time the 7 and 9 services were introduced on the Sligo line and the 8.08 nonstop was introduced hastily, we had a suggestion that it should stop at clonsilla with a connection for broombridge - coolmine passengers using the docklands train ahead of it. It wasn't implemented then. Anyway the 08.02 ex Connolly to Maynooth will make just 2 stops at broombridge and clonsilla en route. Great news!

[Jamie2k9]

There was only around 5 passengers on the 06.55 to Sligo this morning with a few joining in Drumcondra. Would bet there was 0 departing Maynooth. I know the route gets a lot of local traffic but how IE and the NTA restored this service is crazy.

It was also a 29k however I understand its usually and 22k.

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

There was only around 5 passengers on the 06.55 to Sligo this morning with a few joining in Drumcondra. Would bet there was 0 departing Maynooth. I know the route gets a lot of local traffic but how IE and the NTA restored this service is crazy.

It was also a 29k however I understand its usually and 22k.

But how many were on the train as it arrived into Sligo which frankly would be the main market. I’d assume it picks numbers up from Mullingar westward.

It gives a 10:15 arrival into Sligo which would be useful for students. Local traffic may be reasonable too.

Within any timetable you will always have services which are partially positioning trips due to rolling stock or staffing constraints - hardly grounds for assessing it as “crazy”.

[Jamie2k9]

Originally Posted by berneyarms

But how many were on the train as it arrived into Sligo which frankly would be the main market. I’d assume it picks numbers up from Mullingar westward.

It gives a 10:15 arrival into Sligo which would be useful for students. Local traffic may be reasonable too.

Within any timetable you will always have services which are partially positioning trips due to rolling stock or staffing constraints - hardly grounds for assessing it as “crazy”.

I agree and said it may pick up traffic but whatever it does pick up is insignificant to justify a restoration. It was a simple box ticking by the NTA.

I fully stand by my crazy comment. They had an opportunity to offer an enhanced service but didn’t.

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

I agree and said it may pick up traffic but whatever it does pick up is insignificant to justify a restoration. It was a simple box ticking by the NTA.

I fully stand by my crazy comment. They had an opportunity to offer an enhanced service but didn’t.

You simply don’t know that unless you know the actual numbers arriving into Sligo. And you don’t know what they are (nor do I), but I am no fan of these sorts of sweeping comments without actually having hard and relevant data.

You’re just looking at the start of the journey where the relevant part really is the second half.

Without hard numbers to compare you’re not going to know if it’s making a difference. You’re just making suppositions.

[Jamie2k9]

Originally Posted by berneyarms

You simply don’t know that unless you know the actual numbers arriving into Sligo. And you don’t know what they are (nor do I), but I am no fan of these sorts of sweeping comments without actually having hard and relevant data.

You’re just looking at the start of the journey where the relevant part really is the second half.

Without hard numbers to compare you’re not going to know if it’s making a difference. You’re just making suppositions.

What data did Irish rail have, absolutely nothing. Operational convenience was put ahead of the customer and signed off by NTA.