Cork Area Services

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=379

Cork & Kerry area service disruptions, Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th May: UPDATE by Corporate Communications

UPDATE: 18.30hrs, Saturday 24th May

Iarnród Éireann is pleased to advise customers that all Galway and Westport line services are operating normally again, following Friday's disruption.

However, a refusal by drivers based in Cork to work their normal rosters continues to cause significant disruption to rail services in the Cork & Kerry areas.

The stoppage by drivers commenced following a refusal by a Cork-based driver to drive his train within his core roster on Thursday, to facilitate training of new trainee drivers.

Full updated service information will be available on this webpage.

Iarnród Éireann apologises to customers for the inconvenience caused.


Service disruption, Saturday 24th May

The following services are cancelled.

17.30 Cork-Heuston
17.00 Heuston-Cork
18.00 Heuston-Cork
19.00 Heuston-Cork
20.00 Heuston-Cork
20.30 Cork-Heuston
21.00 Heuston-Cork
18.30 Heuston-Tralee

All Cork/Cobh and Cork/Mallow services

All Cork/Tralee services


Services operating on affected routes are:

18.30hrs Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow, and between Tralee and Mallow)

19.30hrs Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow)

All other routes, including Galway and Westport are operating normally.



Service outlook, Sunday 25th May

The following services are expected to be cancelled on Sunday 25th May:

11.00 Heuston-Cork
12.00 Heuston-Cork
14.00 Heuston-Cork
15.00 Heuston-Cork
17.00 Heuston-Cork
18.00 Heuston-Cork
19.00 Heuston-Cork
19.10 Heuston-Tralee
21.00 Heuston-Cork

08.30 Cork-Heuston
10.30 Cork-Heuston
12.30 Cork-Heuston
13.45 Tralee-Heuston
14.30 Cork-Heuston
15.30 Cork-Heuston
17.30 Cork-Heuston
18.30 Cork-Heuston

All Cork/Cobh and Cork/Mallow services

All Cork/Tralee services


Services expected to operate are:

08.10 Heuston to Tralee (with bus transfers Mallow to Tralee, and Mallow to Cork)

10.00 Heuston to Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork,and Mallow to Tralee)

13.00 Heuston to Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork,and Mallow to Tralee)

16.00 Heuston to Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork)

13.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow)

16.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow), and between Tralee and Mallow)

19.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow)

All other routes will operate normally.

Customers are advised to check this website before travel on Sunday for up to date information.

[Mark Gleeson]

Something happening in Cork this morning.

8:45 to Cobh

Update: driver there but no train

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=379

Cork & Kerry area service disruptions, Sunday 25th May: UPDATE by Corporate Communications
UPDATE: 01.00hrs, Sunday 25th May

Iarnród Éireann is pleased to advise customers that all Galway and Westport line services are operating normally again, following Friday's disruption.

However, a refusal by drivers based in Cork to work their normal rosters continues to cause significant disruption to rail services in the Cork & Kerry areas.

The stoppage by drivers commenced following a refusal by a Cork-based driver to drive his train within his core roster on Thursday, to facilitate training of new trainee drivers.

Full updated service information will be available on this webpage.

Iarnród Éireann apologises to customers for the inconvenience caused.

Service disruption, Sunday 25th May

The following services are cancelled on Sunday 25th May:
11.00 Heuston-Cork
12.00 Heuston-Cork
14.00 Heuston-Cork
15.00 Heuston-Cork
17.00 Heuston-Cork
18.00 Heuston-Cork
19.00 Heuston-Cork
19.10 Heuston-Tralee
21.00 Heuston-Cork

08.30 Cork-Heuston
10.30 Cork-Heuston
12.30 Cork-Heuston
13.45 Tralee-Heuston
14.30 Cork-Heuston
15.30 Cork-Heuston
17.30 Cork-Heuston
18.30 Cork-Heuston

All Cork/Cobh and Cork/Mallow services

All Cork/Tralee services


Services operating on Cork and Kerry routes are:

08.10 Heuston to Tralee (with bus transfers Mallow to Tralee, and Mallow to Cork)
10.00 Heuston to Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork,and Mallow to Tralee)
13.00 Heuston to Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork,and Mallow to Tralee)
16.00 Heuston to Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork)
13.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow)
16.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow), and between Tralee and Mallow)
19.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow)

All other routes will operate normally.

Customers are advised to check this website before travel on Sunday for up to date information.

[chris]

Originally Posted by Victor

Service outlook

As unpredictable as the weather...

Widespread disruption on Friday, dying down to leave a mainly settled picture, with some isolated disruption in the West later on Saturday. Sunday will be a mainly fine day...

[Mark Gleeson]

Outlook Monday changeable, strong chance of scattered showers

[Colm Moore]

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0525/rail.html

Train drivers to return to work tomorrow
Sunday, 25 May 2008 14:38

Train drivers in Cork, who have been staging unofficial industrial action since Thursday, say they will return to work tomorrow.

The decision follows a meeting of the drivers earlier today, at which they considered their position in relation to the action.

Following the meeting, the drivers issued a statement which reiterates support for their colleague who was removed from the payroll last Thursday for refusing to facilitate training by driving a different train.

In the statement, the drivers accuse the company of acting arbitrarily and of not invoking agreed company trade union procedures.

They also claim the company's approach was 'premeditated and designed to cause a dispute'.

But the drivers say that they have decided to return to work on the basis that continuing with their action would only serve to further discommode the travelling public.

They also say that on their return to work tomorrow, they will work in accordance with current agreements, including the agreed flexibilities proposed by the Labour Relations Commission in March.

17 Intercity train services cancelled

Meanwhile disruption is continuing on Dublin-Cork, Dublin-Kerry and Cork regional train services as a result of unofficial work stoppages.

17 Intercity services, along with all services between Cork and Cobh, Cork and Mallow and Cork and Tralee have been cancelled today.

A limited service involving bus transfers is operating on the Dublin-Cork and Dublin-Tralee Intercity routes.

Full details are available on the Iarnród Éireann website.

[Mark Gleeson]

Don't get too excited here

The drivers have always said they would go back to work, Irish Rail refused to let them on Friday

Drivers are willing to work under the LRC proposals issued March 4th. Will Irish Rail management let them work? If they don't its about time questions have to be asked as to the philosophy of a company where its staff are available to work under a LRC proposal that all sides have accepted, but won't let them

http://www.railusers.ie/resources/lrc_march_2008-1.jpg
http://www.railusers.ie/resources/lrc_march_2008-2.jpg

[CSL]

I see we are back to the "Great Loyalty Oath" documents. Isn't that a calm and measured response to the issue. Somewhere Brendan Ogle is giggling.

[plant43]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Don't get too excited here

The drivers have always said they would go back to work, Irish Rail refused to let them on Friday

Drivers are willing to work under the LRC proposals issued March 4th. Will Irish Rail management let them work? If they don't its about time questions have to be asked as to the philosophy of a company where its staff are available to work under a LRC proposal that all sides have accepted, but won't let them

http://www.railusers.ie/resources/lrc_march_2008-1.jpg
http://www.railusers.ie/resources/lrc_march_2008-2.jpg

Walking through Heuston this morning, 1000 and 1100 to Cork were cancelled, the 0900 was being operated by a MkIII set.

[Thomas Ralph]

I am hearing that some Waterford services are affected too.

[ACustomer]

Why no update on the IE website? The latest information was put up at 4.45 am (it's now after 12pm).

And why the sympathy with the drivers so evident on this site? Public sector unions (and above all those of the NBRU/ILDA tendency) are a huge obstacle to the development of a high quality, dependable public transport system. Problem is no-one else knows how to drive trains, so one can't sack them. (OK the quality of management is nothing to write home about either, but at least they are not actively sabotaging things)

[Thomas J Stamp]

Derek has made a vital point above.

10,000 disrupted pax is a big figure, but spread over Cork, Kerry, Galway and Mayo it will not attract critical mass at any one location to cause massive problems to IE managment and the DoT in Dublin.

You bring out Dublin Surburban and DART for one day and it'll be war.

We understand, filtering through the mix, that it came very very close in relation to Inchicore coming out, needless to say what in actual fact happened was predictable to me in retrospect.

At the end of the day, and I can see Derek's point, what Mark said was actually the same as Barry Kenny and IE's PR department - they could not guarantee any trains running anywhere and they adivsed people to check before traveling.

Anyway......

It is very obvious that industrial relations within IE do not function. Barry Kenny is telling all and sundry that there is "an agreement". Funny, but if there's an agreement, how come so many drivers are not working? Maybe someone didnt tell them what was agreed on their behalf?

Here's the thing. Since those drivers do not belive there is an agreement, IE should at the very least find out why. They have to talk to these guys. If Isreal can talk to Syria, Paisley talk to McGuinness, IE can talk to their staff.

The number one priority has to be "What can I/we do to get trains running and serve our passengers" It is glaringly obvious that this rule wasnt applied last Thursday in Cork. Consequences were either not considered, which is appaling, or they were considered but disregarded, which is shocking and an indictment of Irish Rail Managment.

Someone decided to pull the trigger and to hell with the passengers. Will that person be reprimanded. No. Is that person or his mangager accountable to anyone? No again. Irish Rail are mandated to run a train service, running that service on a day to day basis is their one and only function. If they fail to do that one basic thing they are paid to do - manage a railway company - what sanction is there there to punish them for it?

None.

And that is what is truly wrong with the dysfunctional world of Irish Rail.

[Mark Gleeson]

Situation in Cork this morning, all drivers showed up and where prevented from driving. Thats a factual statement. A driver elsewhere actually managed to sign on and drove a train into a platform and was just about to leave presumably with passengers when he was stopped and told he was off the payroll

We have a farcical situation of drivers standing around in Cork not allowed drive while passengers suffer. The drivers are willing to work under the LRC proposals which are significantly to the benefit of the company and to the passenger yet they are not allowed.

End of the day 95% of services in Cork could be running within hours if Irish Rail get off their high horse and accept the LRC proposal as a way forward. 95% is a hell of lot better than the 0% in Cork currently.

Irish Rail management are not some wonderful infallible outfit, they did something rather ill advised and look where we are now, Cork has been targeted despite the fact a whole heap of trains where cancelled yesterday through Connolly and again today.

[Mark Gleeson]

Cork & Kerry, service disruptions, Wednesday 28th May by Corporate Communications

UPDATE: 22.45hrs, Tuesday 27th May

Iarnród Éireann regrets to advise customers that significant disruption to rail services in the Cork & Kerry areas is set to continue on Wednesday 28th May.

The stoppage by drivers commenced following a refusal by a Cork-based driver to drive his train within his core roster on Thursday, to facilitate training of new trainee drivers.

Full updated service information will be available on this webpage.

Iarnród Éireann apologises to customers for the inconvenience caused.

Service disruption, Wednesday 28th May

The following services are expected to be cancelled on Wednesday 28th May:
05.15 Cork-Heuston
06.30 Cork-Heuston
07.30 Cork-Heuston
09.30 Cork-Heuston
13.30 Cork-Heuston
14.30 Cork-Heuston
15.30 Cork-Heuston
16.30 Cork-Heuston
17.30 Cork to Heuston
10.00 Heuston-Cork
11.00 Heuston-Cork
12.00 Heuston-Cork
13.00 Heuston-Cork
18.00 Heuston-Cork
19.00 Heuston-Cork
20.00 Heuston-Cork
21.00 Heuston-Cork
07.15 Tralee-Heuston
18.30 Heuston-Tralee

All Cork/Cobh and Cork/Mallow services

All Cork/Tralee services



Services operating on Cork and Kerry routes are:

07.00 Heuston-Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork and Tralee)
08.00 Heuston-Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork)
09.00 Heuston-Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork and Tralee)
14.00 Heuston-Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork)
15.00 Heuston-Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork and Tralee)
16.00 Heuston-Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork)
17.00 Heuston-Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork and Tralee)
10.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow, and between Tralee and Mallow)
11.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow)
12.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow, and between Tralee and Mallow)
18.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow, and between Tralee and Mallow)
19.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow)
20.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow, and between Tralee and Mallow)

Please note bus transfers from Cork and from Tralee depart 30 minutes earlier than scheduled train time.

All other routes will operate normally.

Day 6 no change.

NOTE 1 Irish Rail have abandoned the Cobh line passengers, no buses are being provided. Its not like they didn't get sufficent notice

NOTE 2 Services on the Dublin Sligo, Dublin Gorey lines are at serious risk of cancellation as well so this other routes operating normally is a blatantly misleading, been cancellations Mon and Tues

[MrX]

Well, our company's just decided never to use Irish Rail again. We've had a huge problem all week because of a lack of trains to/from Cork and have now resorted to fly+car hire. We've also just moved from using FastTrack to DHL. It's quite unlikely that we'll be going back.

I really don't care if it's the drivers or the company. At the end of the day the organisation is incapable of getting its house in order and is really hurting passengers and destroying its own reputation.

This is costing businesses a lot of money and it's an absolutely petty dispute.

Frankly, I would think there's an argument for putting the entire Cork operation off the pay roll including the management! This situation is just utterly unacceptable.

[Donal Quinn]

mark, what do you make of this intepretation that the drivers have of 'of required' to only mean in emergencies

i know IE have brought this upon us in a number of ways but this kind of restrictive practices can't be supported, surely?

[Mark Gleeson]

The specific case of the pilot driver

1) Operates all empty trains in the station area, in and out of shed etc, this is why Dublin Cork services only go to Mallow as otherwise the Dublin driver doesn't get his full break

2) Will replace another driver in the event of an accident e.g. suicide on line

3) Will drive the rescue locomotive to assist a failed train

4) Will if necessary operate a passenger service to prevent a cancellation

The roster normally includes what is known as a spare link where there is driver on duty with nothing to do but fill in, given the shortage of drivers obviously they don't have one

Its very stupid not have this all written down, but if it has been standard practice for many years and no conflicting proof can be shown it has to be accepted as both sides agreeing.

On Thursday the driver was asked to take out a training train.
Three problems arise:
1) With no pilot in Cork who shunts and tests the Mk4 set from Dublin?
2) Normally a driver is rostered specifically to handle the training
3) The driver involved was not a mentor driver, was not specifically appointed by the company to supervise as they want. Mentor drivers get paid extra but are also fully responsible for those under supervision. The whole selection/payment/responsibility issue has yet to be determined

For several months several Cork Cobh trains have been cancelled and the driver redeployed on to Dublin Cork services, this is the much talked about flexibility Irish Rail talk about, moving to a service of a greater importance. Of course if this continues there won't be any service to Cobh at all. Point to note of course not all drivers are qualified to driver all train types

There is talk Irish Rail will withdraw the letter which started phase two of the trouble if that is the case 95% of services in Cork will resume quickly

[Mark Gleeson]

Reports tonight indicate a vote is to be taken on a deal tomorrow

http://www.railusers.ie/forum/showpo...16&postcount=4

Usual deal in Cork is meeting 11am, there are 40 drivers so in if it goes well we could be back up and running almost fully by evening rush. 95% of trains would be back

There will be a slight delay as there will need to be a train with no passengers Mallow - Cork, Cork - Cobh and Mallow - Tralee to verify the lines clear and safe

Fingers crossed

[Colm Moore]

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0528/rail.html

Breakthrough at rail dispute talks
Wednesday, 28 May 2008 22:48

Iarnród Éireann management and unions have agreed settlement proposals that are to be put to the striking drivers in the morning.

It is hoped that if the proposals are accepted, trains on the affected routes may begin operating again as early as tomorrow afternoon.

Talks involving management and unions at Iarnród Éireann, aimed at ending the dispute that has halted Cork rail services, resumed in Mallow earlier this afternoon.

AdvertisementThe talks, which are chaired by the Labour Relations Commission, were adjourned early this morning after overnight negotiations.

Iarnród Éireann and unions did not meet face-to-face to discuss the issues in dispute. Instead facilitator Tom Pomphrett moved between the two sides with settlement proposals.

When the meeting ended there was confusion initially that the talks had broken down, but Iarnród Éireann's John Keenan insisted that the meetings would resume with the assistance of the LRC.

Mr Keenan accused the striking train drivers of pursing a 'narrow, selfish agenda' and said they had abandoned passengers on trains.

The NBRU and SIPTU accused management of not wanting to resolve the dispute which centres on a disagreement between the company and Cork-based train drivers over training.

The disruptions began when a Cork-based driver refused to work his roster last Thursday after being asked to facilitate the instruction of new trainee drivers.

Train services to and from Cork and Kerry have been disrupted for a seventh day due to the dispute.


Passengers intending to travel today should check Iarnród Éireann's website.

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=379

Cork & Kerry, service disruptions, Thursday 28th May by Corporate Communications
UPDATE: 21.30hrs, Wednesday 28th May

Talks convened by the Labour Relations Commission to assist a resumption of rail services in Cork and Kerry have concluded this evening in Mallow.

A document has been agreed by both Iarnród Éireann management, and driver trade union representatives from SIPTU and NBRU, to facilitate a return to work by drivers, following disruption to services since last Thursday.

Drivers will meet with trade union representatives tomorrow morning to discuss the document, and should it be accepted, services will begin to resume tomorrow afternoon. Full services would operate from Friday.

The company thanks the LRC for assisting in this process, and sincerely hopes that services can begin to be restored tomorrow afternoon.

Regrettably, services will be disrupted again tomorrow morning, as follows (afternoon and evening service arrangements will be confirmed tomorrow pending the outcome of drivers meeting):


Service disruption, Thursday 29th May

The following services are expected to be cancelled on Thursday 29th May:
05.15 Cork-Heuston
06.30 Cork-Heuston
07.30 Cork-Heuston
09.30 Cork-Heuston
10.00 Heuston-Cork
11.00 Heuston-Cork
12.00 Heuston-Cork
13.00 Heuston-Cork

07.15 Tralee-Heuston

Morning Cork/Cobh and Cork/Mallow services

Morning Cork/Tralee services


Services operating on Cork and Kerry routes are:

07.00 Heuston-Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork and Tralee)
08.00 Heuston-Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork)
09.00 Heuston-Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork and Tralee)
10.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow, and between Tralee and Mallow)
11.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow)
12.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow, and between Tralee and Mallow)

Limerick Customers should note:

Some Services to and from Limerick that connect with Cork services at Limerick Junction may be affected by the cancellations, outlined above. Limerick customers are advised to ring 1850 366 222 or contact their local station before travelling. All direct Limerick services are operating as normal.

Please note bus transfers from Cork and from Tralee depart 30 minutes earlier than scheduled train time.

All other routes will operate normally.

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/...ew&news_id=379

Cork & Kerry, service disruptions, Thursday 29th May by Corporate Communications

UPDATE: 07.30hrs, Thursday 29th May

Talks convened by the Labour Relations Commission to assist a resumption of rail services in Cork and Kerry have concluded yesterday evening in Mallow.

A document has been agreed by both Iarnród Éireann management, and driver trade union representatives from SIPTU and NBRU, to facilitate a return to work by drivers, following disruption to services since last Thursday.

Drivers will meet with trade union representatives today to discuss the document, and should it be accepted, services will begin to resume this afternoon. Full services would operate from Friday.

The company thanks the LRC for assisting in this process, and sincerely hopes that services can begin to be restored later today.

Regrettably, services will be disrupted again this morning, as follows (afternoon and evening service arrangements will be confirmed later pending the outcome of drivers meeting):

Service disruption, Thursday 29th May

The following services are expected to be cancelled on Thursday 29th May:

05.15 Cork-Heuston
06.30 Cork-Heuston
07.30 Cork-Heuston
09.30 Cork-Heuston
10.00 Heuston-Cork
11.00 Heuston-Cork
12.00 Heuston-Cork
13.00 Heuston-Cork
07.15 Tralee-Heuston

Morning Cork/Cobh and Cork/Mallow services

Morning Cork/Tralee services



Services operating on Cork and Kerry routes are:

07.00 Heuston-Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork and Tralee)
08.00 Heuston-Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork)
09.00 Heuston-Cork (with bus transfers Mallow to Cork and Tralee)
10.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow, and between Tralee and Mallow)
11.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow)
12.30 Cork to Heuston (with bus transfers between Cork and Mallow, and between Tralee and Mallow)


Limerick Customers should note:

Some Services to and from Limerick that connect with Cork services at Limerick Junction may be affected by the cancellations, outlined above. Limerick customers are advised to ring 1850 366 222 or contact their local station before travelling. All direct Limerick services are operating as normal.

Please note bus transfers from Cork and from Tralee depart 30 minutes earlier than scheduled train time.

All other routes will operate normally.