[09/07/2013] Severe delays to/from Heuston (second incident)

[laoisfan]

Thanks for the lessons guys - it's good to learn something new every now and then.

Still pi$$ed off with Irish Rail

Getting the 4:25 home today....checking twitter like mad & their website and praying nothing goes wrong.

[Jamie2k9]

There are no expansion joints in the KPR. They can be found around points and crossovers where its not always possible to tension the rails.

on the fast line on the KRP there is no expansion apart from either end of the project unlike the slow line which has it at most stations with bay platforms.

IMO expansion joints are important and they should be used as well as stressing the rails for different temperatures. Would yesterday of being different if we had them?

Apparently not nowadays, that gap was what gave you the 'clickidy click' in years gone by. I can't remember where I picked that up - possibly Nationwide - they featured Irish Rail a number of year ago. There was one statistic I remember as well, the Dublin to Cork track is renewed every few years as they are always doing ongoing maintenance. Pity about the rest of the service, ha, ha

Some of the IE intercity rail network is close to 20 years old.

What's happening is that lots of patch work is being down and if they had the money I think some other intercity routes would be renewed but the department of transport seems to be busy building roads.

[ACustomer]

By and Large, the Cork and Belfast lines have the oldest track, as they were the first to be renewed with CWR. Also they are the busiest and have 201 class locos on them at high speed, which I assume must add to track wear in a way that ICRs do not (higher axle-loads and unsprung weights).

As the other main intercity routes were renewed relatively recently and are relatively lightly trafficked, they will probably not need very much by way of serious relaying over the next decade: Dublin-Cork and Dublin-Belfast are likely to be the problem areas.

[Jamie2k9]

What do you call recently?

Remember only a few years ago Cork speeds were the same as all routes which had 201's running and as other lines are single they have much more ware, and cork tracks can take heaver trains.

Portarlington to Athlone carries 30+ trains a day on a single track compared to most south of Portlaoise where two lines carry this. At the minute 201's are not used a lot on Cork route, half are ICR's.

[Colm Moore]

Some parts of Cork-Dublin first received CWR in the early 1980s, but I don't know if any of that rail remains. The bulk of the work done in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

While track / rail condition will have an effect on speeds, alignment (primarily curvature, but at higher speeds also vertical curvature) and line features (level crossings, over bridges with limited clearance and poor under bridges / track formation) will have greater implications.

[Kilocharlie]

Originally Posted by laoisfan

Thanks Mark.

Well I've filled out the Southern & Western refund claim form. Seeing as I am an annual ticket holder (valid until Jan 2014) I've included a photocopy of the annual pass.

Yesterday evening IR managers were handing out letters of apology and an offer by way of compensation for season ticket holders of a 3-day unlimited Gathering ticket.

They also promised to review procedures and the supply of information to passengers when incidents like these occur.

[Jamie2k9]

They also promised to review procedures and the supply of information to passengers when incidents like these occur.

How many times have we heard that before.

I see no reason why 60 minutes to clear the machine, it failed before 15.00, immediate action would be dispatch a locomotive from Heuston, use single line out of Nass, Inbound line wouldn't of being overly busy and then move the machine to New bridge or Kildare or even return to the loop in Nass. This absolute bulls**t that maintenance staff are on site trying to fix the fault is just causing more problems and getting very little productive done until they realize it can't be fixed. If something fails in the middle of nowhere the probability of it being fixed there and then is very slim.

Over the while we have had:
10.00 to Cork failure at Newbridge, 2 hours to clear.
Westport train failure which too around 3 hours to get another 22k to push it to Newbridge.
Track machine fail south of Kildare which took 3 hours+ to use a locomotive sitting in Kildare to move it.

The management have the brass neck to say we will review procedures. This just blatant lies as they have being saying this for years. DO they think passengers are mugs. This will happen again and the 3 hour and 4 hour delays will not change.