You would imagine after an investment of several hundred million euro over the last 10 years that there would be sustainable reductions in journey times. In fact on some lines there has been no change, Dublin Westport for example. On others it now takes longer, in the case of Dublin Cork up to 25 minutes longer for direct services. This is embarrassing. While there have been improvement, notably on the Sligo line other lines which have seen significant investment such as Dublin Waterford show little or no improvement. The Sligo line has seen improvement but the best journey times increased by 8 minutes in 2006 despite the completion of a signaling upgrade.
The supposedly premier line Dublin Belfast is now as slow if not slower than before the line was re laid in the mid 1990's. Special steam hauled trains in the 1910-1930 period managed under 2 hours non stop with a record set of 97 minutes in 1924, which even included a brief stop in Lisburn. We were promised 90 minutes non stop when the line was re laid, 100 mph was promised. The best average time is now 2 hours 10 minutes, some trains taking 2 hours 15 minutes the exact same time as in 1947 when the Enterprise service was launched.
In 1984 CIE set a Irish speed record of 124 mph. 23 years on just to even reach 100 mph is a struggle while we watch everyone in Europe tear away into the distance at speeds touching 200 mph, sure lack of investment can be blamed but there seems to be a total lack of vision in Iarnród Éireann to push. 1994 is seen by many as the best year Iarnród Éireann had for journey times on average. The table below shows the fastest times. The majority of fastest times are on Sunday and not matched by any other service, indeed many trains regularly arrived early despite the tight schedules.
To put this into context, in 1987 relaying work on the Dublin Cork line was still ongoing only the stretch out to Limerick Junction area cleared for 90 mph with 70 mph and less beyond, in 1994 speed limits on the Dublin Cork line was at best 90 mph with a limit of only 70 mph between Dublin Belfast, the Cork line now has over 30 miles of 100 mph running and the Dublin Belfast is 90 mph for long stretches. In 1995 Iarnród Éireann took delivery of its first (officially) 100 mph capable locomotive. So we now have faster, vastly more powerful locomotives running on vastly better track and a fleet of 133 coaches capable of 125 mph to match but it takes longer.
We can't work it out faster trains better track but slower? There are no excuses every single timing from 1987 should be beaten by a minimum of 10 minutes.
Whats Going On?
There is nothing wrong with the track or signaling Iarnród Éireann have inserted a margin of 10 extra minutes or so into nearly all services arriving into Heuston to avoid the customer charter, Heuston Kildare is practical in 27 minutes, but trains are timetabled to run Kildare Heuston in 37-45 minutes. A similar allowance is added at approaching other terminus stations, Mallow Cork in particular. Its not uncommon to arrive in Heuston up to 10 minutes early as result, a train can be 15 minutes late passing Kildare but in all certainty it will be less than 10 minutes late arriving into Dublin thus avoiding been classified as delayed.
Its not for reasons of pride Iarnród Éireann do this but to fake the punctuality statistics so the Department of Transport keep signing the cheques. The question of course is why Iarnród Éireann cannot reliably match even the generously padded times day in day out.
Comparison of Journey Times
Best journey times for direct services on each radial intercity route:
Service | 1973 | 1987-88 | 1993-4 | 2002-3 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | Change since 1987 |
| Dublin - Cork | 2:45 | 2:30 | 2:30 | 2:41 | 2:24 | 2:25 | 2:45 | +15 |
| Cork - Dublin | 2:20 | 2:30 | 2:41 | 2:31 | 2:36 | 2:45 | +25 | |
| Dublin - Galway | 2:30 | 2:25 | 2:30 | 2:48 | 2:20 | 2:20 | 2:26 | +1 |
| Galway - Dublin | 2:25 | 2:30 | 2:30 | 2:30 | 2:30 | 2:28 | +3 | |
| Dublin - Tralee | 4:00 | 3:45 | 3:40 | 4:00 | 3:55 | 3:54 | 4:01 | +16 |
| Tralee - Dublin | 3:35 | 3:40 | 4:06 | 4:00 | 4:00 | 4:00 | +20 | |
| Dublin - Waterford | 2:15 | 2:25 | 2:30 | 2:31 | 2:25 | 2:29 | 2:29 | +5 |
| Waterford - Dublin | 2:15 | 2:25 | 2:40 | 2:24 | 2:24 | 2:25 | +10 | |
| Dublin - Limerick | 2:22 | 2:00 | 2:05 | 2:15 | 2:18 | 2:10 | 2:15 | +15 |
| Limerick - Dublin | 2:05 | 2:05 | 2:25 | 2:15 | 2:15 | 2:15 | +10 | |
| Dublin - Westport | 3:50 | 3:30 | 3:40 | 3:36 | 3:27 | 3:25 | 3:29 | -1 |
| Westport - Dublin | 3:30 | 3:55 | 3:45 | 3:30 | 3:30 | 3:35 | +5 | |
| Dublin - Sligo | 3:00 | 3:10 | 3:20 | 3:02 | 2:58 | 3:05 | 3:05 | -5 |
| Sligo - Dublin | 3:10 | 3:11 | 3:07 | 2:58 | 3:05 | 3:05 | -5 | |
| Dublin - Rosslare | 3:15 | 2:46 | 3:00 | 3:10 | 2:56 | 2:50 | 2:47 | +1 |
| Rosslare - Dublin | 2:49 | 2:57 | 3:03 | 2:52 | 2:56 | 2:53 | +4 | |
| Dublin - Belfast | 2:15 | 1:55 | 1:58 | 1:56 | 1:56 | 2:05 | 2:06 | +11 |
| Belfast - Dublin | 1:55 | 1:58 | 1:51 | 1:53 | 1:55 | 1:55 | 0 |
Information taken from Strategic Rail Review, Iarnród Éireann's timetables and the Irish Railway Records Society. E&OE
Only 4 journeys routes stayed the same or improved, everywhere else show significantly worse times in one case 25 minutes extra. Compared to 1987 its a very sad story. Even looking at 1973 shows that current times are little or no better and not surprisingly some are worse than those of over 30 years ago. The official Cork Dublin steam era record is 2 hours 27 minutes, in 2006 the non stop Sunday train was only 2 minutes faster! Its almost impossible to believe that one Sunday back in March 1986 a train travelled from Dublin to Cork in 2 hours 7 minutes.
It Was Faster in 1928
It sounds impossible that a steam hauled train dating from the 1920's running on jointed track with wooden coaches with manual signaling could be faster than a train hauled by a modern 100mph capable 3000hp diesel locomotive on 100mph track but this is Iarnród Éireann, the impossible is possible.In 1928 the best time for Portlaoise Dublin was 51 minutes in 2006 after close on a billion euro of investment it's 55 minutes non stop. Has Portlaoise moved ?