[Article] Belfast-Dublin rail passenger numbers down 60%

[roamling]

Independent, Tuesday October 20 2009

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-n...0-1918783.html

Tuesday October 20 2009

The number of cross-border travellers using rail services between Belfast and Dublin has plummeted since the collapse of the Malahide viaduct in August.

Figures supplied by the SDLP show a 60% fall in passenger numbers on the Enterprise service since August.

Bus transfers are still in place on the main Belfast-Dublin route while repair work is carried out at the collapsed viaduct.

A 20-metre section of the bridge crumbled into Broadmeadow estuary two months ago just minutes after a passenger train had cross over the line.

The repairs are expected to be completed sometime next month.

INN

I would not be suprised if travel numbers won't recover, especially on the commuter line, to the "pre-colapse" status after the viaduct is repaired. The Dublin - Belfast will probably recover because its the fatsest way to get around but for example some people from Rush/Lusk are quiet happy with the bus transfer (33X). Some clever people at Dublin Bus might have an idea....

[Mark Gleeson]

Its big news in Belfast this morning, I was on the Northern Irish equivalent of Morning Ireland on Radio Ulster.

Let us be very clear here, the Dublin Belfast was in serious trouble before the viaduct collapsed. The 24 hour bus service is killing it, while slightly slower it does go to Great Victoria Street which is whole lot more central than Central Station. With the Port Tunnel and the work on motorways just north of the border unless the train speeds us massively it will be curtains.

In the week before the collapse over 30% of Enterprise services arrived more than 10 minutes late in Dublin and that was a good week with no breakdowns

[markpb]

Originally Posted by roamling

some people from Rush/Lusk are quiet happy with the bus transfer (33X). Some clever people at Dublin Bus might have an idea....

They might have an idea but unless they can ask the DoT for extra funding, it's unlikely to happen.

[comcor]

Would it be completely out of the question to switch trains to terminate in Great Victoria St? It used to be the terminus until the 70s when the station was closed, so perhaps the reopened station could take over again.

Or if Belfast Central was maintained, what about a stop at Botanic to serve Queen's. Although it would slightly lengthen the journey to Belfast Central, it would bring down the journey time between the two cities and I wouldn't be surprised if half the passengers would prefer to use Botanic anyway.