[11-06-07] disruption to dart services

[ThomasJ]

Just heard it on the news. Delays of fifteen minutes to northbound and southbound services. Something has crashed through the gates at lansdowne

[Mark Gleeson]

More like up to 50 minutes

Got stuck in it arrived 47 minutes late

IE of course are hiding the true scale of it, note the lack of a time of publication

DART and Commuter delays by Corporate Communications

As a result of an earlier incident at Lansdowne Road Level crossing,north and southbound DART and Commuter services are experiencing up to 25 minute delays.

Source: Corporate Communications

It was the barrier on the southbound side, station side that was struck by a truck

Originally we where told 10 minutes

[MOH]

At Killester at 9.30 they announced 30 minutes. At Connolly 15 minutes later exact same announcment, but with 40 minutes delay. At that rate it must be about 90 minutes by now.

[Colm Donoghue]

Originally Posted by ThomasJ

Just heard it on the news. Delays of fifteen minutes to northbound and southbound services. Something has crashed through the gates at lansdowne

Paul O' Connell??

Good Job this is being removed when the govt builds that new stadium....
Oh wait..

[zag]

I was stuck in this earlier this morning. Got on a train which had been sitting in Booterstown for about 10 minutes. An announcement came on saying that there was a 15 minute delay. 5 minutes later an announcement came on saying there was a 20 minute delay . . . at least they were providing realtime information, after a fashion. I imagine if we hadn't moved off a few minutes later they would have been on a little later to tell us about the 25 minute delay.

Once I heard it was the barriers at Landsdowne I knew it wasn't going to be an easy passage.

We shot out of Booterstown, across the level crosssing and sat outside Sydney Parade for a further few minutes. After getting to Sydney Parade the driver came on and said we would all probably be better getting the bus because there was a string of trains ahead of him all waiting to get past Landsdowne.

Long story . . . short . . . I got back on the same train in Pearse about 40 minutes later after walking half way into town and getting on the only bus that passed that way.

Here's the question - when something like this takes place and they eventually re-open the crossing, why can't they simply send all the backlog past the problem instead of insisting that every train stop at every station, further increasing the backlog ?

I appreciate that some people (in this situation) would have been getting off at Sandymount, Sydney Parade, etc . . . but the vast majority would have been going through into town. They could stop each train at one station with an announcement that there would be a 'stopping train' following on in X minutes. Then just close the barriers at Landsdowne and send the trains which are backed up all the way to Monkstown through. They could do some short runnings to Grand Canal Dock if they were ever allowed use the extra platform there.

The way I see it, whenever there is a backlog like this it seems to take an unduly huge amount of time to clear it up *after* the actual blockage has been removed.

z

[Mark Gleeson]

I was probably on the train ahead of you and a series of goof ups occurred.

Firstly the first I knew of a problem was the platform PA I heard as my train rolled into Blackrock, it mentioned 'level crossing'

The driver was informed by radio at Booterstown after we all heard the platform pa, surely the driver should have found out first?

Driver to be fair gave the best and most useful PA's I have heard in ages

We then spent 13 minutes outside Sydney Parade despite the fact there was nothing stopping us from entering the station. The driver at this point failed to request permission to draw forward in the station as is possible and I have seen done in the past in similar circumstances

After another 10 odd minutes we moved to just short of Sandymount, 10 more minutes Sandymount, another 10 sat outside Lansdowne then after about 5 minutes we crawled out of Lansdowne

We had to pass the two signals approaching Lansdowne at red and it wasn't until we where half way to Grand Canal Dock did the computer finally hand the driver authority to accelerate to 100kph

I can see no reason why the gates where not manually locked down

[Rashers]

I was on the 07.16 Dundlak to Bray service, that was due into Connolly at 08.37. We arrived just north of the station on time, and waited there for about 10 minutes. Eventually the driver advised that due to track unavailability/train path problems (or words to that effect) we would be delayed, but would soon be in. When we pulled in about 2 minutes later, I spotted the earlier failed 8 carriage 26000 series Drogheda-Bray service. I reckon with this blocking platform 5, and the 08.40 Connolly- Maynooth service waiting at platform 7, this only left 1 platform for all northbound DARTs/Gorey/ southbound DARTs/Drogheda/Dundalk services, for about 10-15 minutes of the main morning peak. After a few minutes waiting there, I could hear announcements in the distance, but as I was on the last carriage, there is no PA system for anyone to hear beyond the canopy on platforms 5,6, or 7.
We soon headed off, but by 09.00 we were only to Tara street. At this point, I rang the Connolly information desk, who advised all services had resumed. Following this, there were plenty of announcements, advising services had resumed, and delays were at 25 minutes. In fact, I did not get to Lansdowne road for another 25 minutes. All in all, another bad morning on IE.
When I checked their website at 09.30am, there was no mention of either incident. Nothing on AA roadwatch either.

[Colm Donoghue]

Ah Rashers, youre wrong there are speakers.
In fact "We have upgraded P.A. facilities at suburban stations when we undertook platform lengthening work for 8-carriage railcars" Paul Slowey, 18May2007.

The fact I couldn't hear an announcement at tara the same day even though I was sitting under a tannoy means We are wrong and IE is correct.....


There was a delayed dart to Malahide at 17:25, a 4 car set, and an announcement was made in tara that it would run non-stop to HJ&D and then Port and Malahide.

[zag]

I saw that 4 car DART baling through Clontarf Road this evening. Left more than one gobsmacked face on the northbound platform.

<grumpy old man mode>
The driver didn't sound the horn or reduce speed as he passed through - is there not some requirement to sound the horn in this type of situation, since people would normally be expecting it to stop ?
</grumpy old man mode>

z