Thanks Mark, its a pity Irish Rail do not put this info on their site, would enable people to know what is going on.

Will there be enough 22k sets available from the coming weekend to cover all Sligo services in the new timetable? I gather that while the system is awash with 22k sets under test, that availability for service is much less. You can imagine that if there are going to be some 29k units still on the Sligo next week that any seat reservation would be a shambles.

Wouldn't be suprised if that was the case though there are plently of sets available

Should see another one appear on Dublin Limerick in coming days as well to cover the out and back trip in the afternoon which has been run by any junk in the shed for the last few weeks

Oddly enough, this was the service we expected the 22k's to run ex Limerick first given its simplicity. As MarkG says, plenty of sets out there, the current Limerick runner is a 2X3 car set for example.

The trick is to only allow the first X number of seats to be reservable, where X is the lowest amount of numbered seats in any vehicle in the fleet.

Doesn't work when people book 4 seats around a table, or where someone wants a seat with a table instead of the airline style since the layouts are wildly different

22 K's and catering?
 

I was on the 14.15 from Limerick to Dublin last week. It was my first time on the new 22k's and was very impressed with the ride and the standard of carriage. I did not notice any difference in ride quality between 22ks and the MKIII's. I hope both IE and the general public treat them with respect.

I was sitting at the front of the train and about 10 people came up and were looking for the snack bar on the train. There was no trolley on the train yet the timetable indicates that a snack service is available. Are there any catering facilities on the current 22ks in service at present or do we have to wait to the 6 set 22ks?:o

The seats are comfortable enough like Mark G said on a different thread if he can seat on the train to Sligo and back 6hrs, Then they are okay. I personally perfer the Mk3"s I still get that Intercity feeling from them if you know what I mean unforunatly not the 22k trains but that could all change once they are introduced on the Rosslare Line:D

Current 3 coach model doesn't have a snack bar, the 6 coach sets do have full catering that said no Limerick trains bar the 7:35 and 17:05 are listed as having a restaurant car at this time

Snacks and Drinks == catering trolley

The lack of catering on any service is not related to the train used more to do with bad management by the caterers

There 2 sets of 3 coaches each. And just 1 catering trolley. So staff should change 1 set for another(with trolley and personal belongings) at Portlaoise station and continue to serve there. It does mean that some of IE staff should help with that. This is information that staff told me. It is not possible to manage the trolley alone if you have to change the set to continue catering.

I imagine the wheelchair ramp is needed to get the trolley on and off trains, becuase they haven't worked out how to get the train deck level the same as the platform level, unlike Luas.

I understand they don't meet up because of the suspension system on the train - it if fails the carriage settles down and if it is at the same height as the platform the carriage would strike the platform edge.

That doesn't stop the Americans, take for example New York City, the Subway, the regional MTA Metro North and Long Island Railroads, even the long distance Amtrack carraige floors always match the platform surfaces, 100%. Each time. Every time. And I know for a fact that the M-series EMU trainsets of MN/LIRR have complex enough suspensions.

There seems to be a standard rail-to-floor height and everything is designed to match it. Without exception.

A similar situation exists on the S/U Bahns in the main German cities.

Why Irish Rail isn't capable of doing the same here, I do not know.

well, I think the easy solution is to get platforms that can be raised hydrolically or lowered as the case may be to match the train that comes in.

No, it should be simpler than that - every platform is being adjusted to be IIRC 915mm above rail, its just that its another 150-200mm to the train deck.

While it isn't so bad on a a straight platform, on curved ones like the main platforms in Cork, you have to deal with both a horizontal and vertical gap that combined are big enough for someone to fall in.

My sister is of a nervous disposition and isn't the most agile. Getting on and off a train can be a nightmare for her.

Very funny

Down with that sort of thing.

So it's just a case of making sure all future train orders specify a wheel-to-floor height of 915mm?

Ooops, they just bought 250 units specifying a difference.

hydralics work both ways lads......... if you cant adjust the platform......

You level correct the suspension

Seriously though a few platforms required the angle grinder treatment so the new trains could fit safely

You want to try the step up in mainland europe