08:23 Ashtown to Bray 16.10.2006
 

Arrived at the level crossing at 08:19 to see the train arrive. Very unusual
for it to be so early. Managed to squeeze on towards the back of the train
but a lot of people were left behind.

1. Was the previous train ( 08:12 ) to Connolly not operational ?

2. Should the driver stall until the allocated departure time ?

Got into Connolly in record time, only to wait 10 mins for other trains
to depart

[16-10-07] 07:58 Maynooth - Bray
 

Fun and games this morning in Maynooth.

The 0758 left Maynooth 5 minutes early this morning.

Cue hundreds of folks looking at their watches as the train pulled off.
No announcements of any kind before the train left.

For all those customers that did show up on time for their train, they were kindly serviced by the 35 minutes delayed 0736 (from Longford) Maynooth Pearse.

So does the Irish Rail charter cover trains leaving early?

Underexception circumstances yap yap a train may operate early

Getting the 7:57 out early didn't benefit the delayed Longford train so there was no point in doing it. Little point running early since the train will have to sit to wait for its slot through Connolly

This train typically has to wait for 6-7 mins every day in Connolly for the southbound train from drogheda to depart (they always arrive in at the same time) so I cannot understand why this one had to leave early.

It might have had something to do with the delay to the 7.36 longford train. which is always very overcrowded. This train was dangerously overcrowded yesterday. with the delay to the longford train, the four car train that usually follows it would not have been able to cope and would have left large backlog of passengers. The early departure was probably done to minimse the large passenger numbers that would have build up on the platforms as a result of the delay. IE have have implemented alternative arrangements for when the 7.36 was delayed before, including trains starting from clonsilla. The delayed longford train would have then covered any passengers that were inconvinienced by the early departure of the 7.57 train

In theory that all grand until

1. You don't tell anyone thats whats been done
2. All the trains are going to be packed anyway

How on earth a train from Longford can lose 35 minutes is suspect, the train has a clear run with no trains going the other way, service is operated by the most reliable diesel railcar in Europe and the schedule is so easy at least 10 minutes can be chopped off

Thats what happened except customers, like myself who were clearly on time for our train were left waiting and were late for work through no fault of our own.

The excuse was signalling difficulties.

Can IE be made to find passangers alternative transport when a train departs early?

Which is an excuse we can't verify and we all know Irish Rail to be less than honest

Signalling difficulties could be code for driver slept it out, just a speed restrictions en route is code for mechanical failure since we botched tightening a nut

Was a mess this morning. Got to Castleknock at about 8:05, 8:20 train arrived at about 8:15.... crush loaded, many many people left behind.

About 8:30 a 4 car train turned up. No announcements, or displays. Most people got on. Busy also at Ashtown, more people get on (persumably those left behind by the previous one). The train is crush load around the doors at this point. Again, NO platform announcements or displays, NO onboard displays or announcements. After Broombridge it becomes apparent the train is going to Docklands. Many angry and confused passengers.

As a side issue, Docklands doesn't seem set up to be able to deal with this many passengers. A 4 car train caused quite a backlog at the turnstiles with people getting in each others way and pushing trying to get through.

It was a complete disgrace this morning. I was at coolmine, waiting in vain for my usual commute on the 8.15 service (which I presumed to be delayed). No announcements were made at coolmine with regard to the city centre services either (although IE were able to announce to the handful of passengers heading to Maynooth that their service was delayed!!).

As happened at castleknock, that 4 carriage train turned up with no displays or announcements and nearly everyone on the coolmine platform jumped on thinking it was the delayed 8.15 train. The only reason I didnt make the same mistake was that I was close enough to ask the driver where he was heading! Then low and behold, another train turns up 6 or 7 mins later (around 8.35)....again with no displays or announcements.

A complete shambles. IE treating us all like dirt once again! This country is a banana republic

The Longford train was slow between Longford and Mullingar due to signal problems. Horn seemed to be sounded at every signal and level crossing on the way.

Not the first time this has happnened

http://www.railusers.ie/forum/showthread.php?t=1376

When the new signalling system (i think) was introduced to the maynooth-longford stretch two days in a row the 6.20 longford-pearse got cought at edgeworthstown. it caused chaos on the maynooth line as a result.

The first day it happened IE were clueless and it was a complete mess. The second day wasn't as bad as IE worked the schedule for the morning around this mess. Was still bad though.

It goes to show though, if something is wrong with this service the whole maynooth line will go belly-up. because of the passenger numbers on this service. and that is even after good passenger numbers on the 7.45 clonsilla-docklands. The crushloads on this service are dangerous at times

If the early-bird from sligo was reintroduced or if there was a four-car express from longford. and this train started from maynooth I am sure wouldn't be as bad.

AFAIK Docklands has 10 turnstiles. The problem is that it is a terminating station (everyone is getting off) and the platform-turnstile distance is short (people don't get spread out like Connolly platform 5/6/7 to the main concourse). If you have a full eight car trains, they could take 10 minute to unload - by which time the next train (when they have more trains) has shown up.

I raised this at the time of the planning application but was scoffed at by CIÉ Property Department.

Was this was at the oral hearing? or is it on the record?
if so can we put this up on our wall of shame along with 30m trams are good enough forever AND 640K RAM is plenty...


IE say 15 people per min per turnstile that's only 600 per minute and possibly over a thousand a train....

and IE's figures seem optomistic as it takes almost a second from taking ticket to opening turnstile unless you walk forwards and the gate doesn't open...

That's only 150 a minute?!?

IE get away with it at the moment because Docklands isn't used all that much, but if numbers pick up there could be quite a problem.

10 gates at 15 per minute is 150 per minute or 8 minutes to clear a full 8 coach train

That said it would still be faster than the old style single gate routine

However the gates can manage a fair bit better than 15 per minute, throughput will increase massively when people finally act like there fellow commuters in London and Paris by having their tickets ready, thats the biggest hold up I can see

And not putting them in upside-down, or failing to take back their single ticket resulting in the turnstile refusing to take a new one, or tailgating and causing the IÉ gate monitor to go and hassle them...

The problem I see is that the gates are all bi-directional meaning that if there are a load of people going out then someone trying to get in hasn't a chance. I've seen in Connolly they sometimes switch a couple of the turnstiles to one-way, but it's rare.

Doh! I had 4 seconds in my brain

I still think the gates are slower than the old 3 finger gates. there is a delay between taking your ticket back and the gate opening. if you walk too far forward, the gate will not open.

On the other hand the gates stay open as long as there are people going through rather than closing and opening again each time.