Train commuters,what you going to do? (Merged with Commuter Hell thread)

Moonbeam

So I was wondering,how on earth are people going to get to work?

There is going to be no where near enough capacity on the buses,it won't be easy to get buggies and wheel chairs on them.

Personally this could not have happened at a worse time as my child starts creche and I am back to work next week:(


No idea what we are going to do yet.

Victor

Theres that 10% of buses that they cut.

Moonbeam

I was trying to work out how many buses would be needed to cover for each train,the number got impossibly big and I gave up!!

LeoB

They will have to put express buses on duty. Remember the big bendy buses that were supposed to take thousands off the roads? Hope they can find about 10 or 15 of them for Monday. But lets not hold our breath.

hoser expat

I have no confidence in them arranging enough buses, especially if they all just follow the 33. They'll all be full by the first stop! We need express buses direct from each affected station.

I'm going to have to head off very very early Monday and see how it goes. If they haven't got it fugured out and it becomes the mayhem I think it will, then I'm going to make some phone calls about chartering my own bus. One run a day each way from Skerries, charge everyone a fiver. I wonder if any charter companies have already thought of this? There's a few pennies to be made if anyone has a bus not booked out already.

hoser expat

LeoB wrote: »

They will have to put express buses on duty. Remember the big bendy buses that were supposed to take thousands off the roads? Hope they can find about 10 or 15 of them for Monday. But lets not hold our breath.

10 or 15 buses would take about 3/4 of the people from one of the 5 or 6 rush hour trains. Not nearly enough.

Bluetonic

hoser expat wrote: »

If they haven't got it fugured out and it becomes the mayhem I think it will, then I'm going to make some phone calls about chartering my own bus. One run a day each way from Skerries, charge everyone a fiver. I wonder if any charter companies have already thought of this? There's a few pennies to be made if anyone has a bus not booked out already.

€5 per person. I doubt you've really taught about it to be honest.

Victor

hoser expat wrote: »

then I'm going to make some phone calls about chartering my own bus.

Do you have a licence to operate a bus service? Insurance?

What if you don't fill your bus?

hoser expat

I chartered a large coach a few months ago for €200 per half day, €400 per full day, Skerries to St. Stephen's Green return. So €5 per person is not out of line. It could even make a couple of runs.

I think quite honestly it would not be hard to fill such a bus. And the bus company would have a license to operate, we just get 50 people together and rent the bus.

Think outside of the box people.

Victor

They have a licence to operate a bus. They need a separate licence to operate a bus route.

Bluetonic

hoser expat wrote: »

I chartered a large coach a few months ago for €200 per half day, €400 per full day, Skerries to St. Stephen's Green return. So €5 per person is not out of line. It could even make a couple of runs.

I think quite honestly it would not be hard to fill such a bus. And the bus company would have a license to operate, we just get 50 people together and rent the bus.

Think outside of the box people.

How many runs at rush hour do you think you bus could make?

Gillo

Very glad I am off next week, hopefully the confusion will be gone by the following week. Moonbeam I feel for you, have you considered a local creche, there's pro's and con's but even short term it may be better. What ever happens tomorrow folks please bear in mind the lads working in the station can't do much and it's not their fault so tempting as it may be please don't go hurling abuse at them when you have trouble getting to work.

hoser expat

Victor wrote: »

They have a licence to operate a bus. They need a separate licence to operate a bus route.

Not if it is a charter bus. We rent the bus (myself and 50 others, depending on capacity), we ask them to pick us up in Skerries and drop us off in Dublin. it's not a route, it's a private hire.

di2772

I got a parking space in Swords off a friend.
Im driving to Swords and then getting the Swords express.
Hes got another 2 if anyone wants them. If you want me to find out let me know. He probably wont charge much for them.

Bluetonic

di2772 wrote: »

I got a parking space in Swords off a friend.
Im driving to Swords and then getting the Swords express.
Hes got another 2 if anyone wants them. If you want me to find out let me know. He probably wont charge much for them.

Profiteering at it's best. Why would you bother paying for parking in Swords when the town is full of free parking.

susanna

I'll be moving to my boyfriend's house in Tallaght for three months by the looks of things.

Can get the luas, or the drive into town takes about an hour at peak times.

I'm lucky to have the option, its going to be bedlam commuting from Skerries on the 33!

Fyr.Fytr

Bluetonic wrote: »

Profiteering at it's best. Why would you bother paying for parking in Swords when the town is full of free parking.

Not so much anymore, pay and display is taking over, this means that estates that are still free are ever more busy with people parking to avoid pay and display

Bluetonic

Fyr.Fytr wrote: »

Not so much anymore, pay and display is taking over, this means that estates that are still free are ever more busy with people parking to avoid pay and display

Aside from the main street the majority of public roads are free parking.

di2772

Bluetonic wrote: »

Aside from the main street the majority of public roads are free parking.

Im getting my space for free anyway.
But for everyone else, why not help them out by giving them a list of the streets they can park on, if you know them?
When is the last time you tried to park there?

Bluetonic

di2772 wrote: »

Im getting my space for free anyway.
But for everyone else, why not help them out by giving them a list of the streets they can park on, if you know them?
When is the last time you tried to park there?

Giving a list of would be little silly. As I said aside from the main street (and it's side streets) few streets are paid parking.

I parked in Swords on Friday, non paid parking just off the main street.

Eoineo

Carpool?
My dh works near the DART line and he will be filling the car with family members and dropping them off to the closest station in the mornings; collecting them in the evening. He would be making the journey anyway so it makes sense to fill the car.

WRT to the queries about private coach hire. There is no route in place if the coach driver does not take a "fare" from each passenger and is paid an invoiced amount.

Does anybody have children attending secondary/primary schools on the rail line - e.g. Malahide, Portmarnock, Baldoyle, Sutton, Howth? This is going to be a nightmare to get them up and down to school.

di2772

Bluetonic wrote: »

Giving a list of would be little silly. As I said aside from the main street (and it's side streets) few streets are paid parking.

I parked in Swords on Friday, non paid parking just off the main street.

I think we should all be trying to help out our fellow commuters here. Why not give a hand?

Bluetonic

di2772 wrote: »

I think we should all be trying to help out our fellow commuters here. Why not give a hand?

Just like all the free parking in Dublin 1, 2 and 4 I'm not going to be advertising publically anything that might risk my parking space as I'm sure you'll understand.

OisinDunne

From http://www.irishrail.ie/contact_us/contact_ne_service_delays.asp

Customer Service Section for Northern and Eastern Routes Welcome to the Customer Service Section for the Northern and Eastern Division.
Serious Service Delay
If you have experienced a serious delay while traveling on our services you may be entitled to a Discount Voucher.
Passengers delayed between one and two hours are entitled to a 50% refund on the affected leg of the journey. Passengers delayed by over two hours are entitled to a full refund on the affected leg of the journey.
In order for us to process your Discount Application your ticket(s) for this journey on-line is required.
We aim to process Refund Applications within 15 working days of receipt of application. Occasionally, when serious disruptions occur, we are sometimes unable to meet our response targets. Please bear with us; we will always process your Application as quickly as we can.
In order for us to process your Discount Application please print out the Discount Application Form in PDF format (PDF File) and return the completed form by post together with your ticket(s) for this journey to:
Customer Relations Department
Northern and Eastern
Iarnród Éireann
Connolly Station
Amien Street
Dublin 1
Telephone (01) 703 2601
Fax (01) 703 4369

cailinoBAC

Do Bus Eireann do monthly tickets from Balbriggan and how much are they?r
I don't have a car and even if I did, I don't know where I'd park it around Grand Canal Dock. Definitely don't want to be taking the 33 bus. My Dad rang Bus Eireann and they said they're in discussion with Irish Rail about accepting their tickets. But how long do those buses actually take into town in rush hour?
I'm thinking I'll probably end up staying in town for a while.

shopaholic

cailinoBAC,
If you hop on a bus you can buy a single, return or weekly 10 journey ticket - no monthly one. BUT I've a taxsaver ticket from them up to drogheda that I get monthly - might be an idea to get onto your hr dept to see if they can set you up with one. The advantage over the annual taxsaver is it can be cancelled with just a months notice.

graphene

cailinoBAC wrote: »

Do Bus Eireann do monthly tickets from Balbriggan and how much are they?r
I don't have a car and even if I did, I don't know where I'd park it around Grand Canal Dock. Definitely don't want to be taking the 33 bus. My Dad rang Bus Eireann and they said they're in discussion with Irish Rail about accepting their tickets. But how long do those buses actually take into town in rush hour?
I'm thinking I'll probably end up staying in town for a while.

A ten journey from balbriggan is about 35euros.

However this bus will go down the old road to the airport and through santry (probably take at least 90 min in rush hour) while the extra buses put on to cover the trains will go down the motorway so probably be at least half an hour quicker

wow sierra

Fyr.Fytr wrote: »

Not so much anymore, pay and display is taking over, this means that estates that are still free are ever more busy with people parking to avoid pay and display

I agree with that. I work in Swords and people are constantly complaining about the lack of parking as it is. I reckon for North County commuters hoping to get the 41 etc in Swords, will now end up taking up the few remaining free parking spaces there are.

God the next few months are going to be a serious pain in the ass even for those of us who never got the train. Gridlock on the M1 etc.

Gillo

cailinoBAC wrote: »

Do Bus Eireann do monthly tickets from Balbriggan and how much are they?

I'd to get the bus today and asked the driver (Bus Eireann) he said they were told yesterday not to take them but the ring the depot and check tomorrow, TBH I'd say it'd be crap if they don't especially since they are basically the same company.

cailinoBAC

I'm just taking the 635 Dublin Bus in tomorrow. Wasn't able to get confirmation of any other times, then staying somewhere for the week, then think I'll be staying closer to town for the forseeable future, but that's not exactly an option for most people.

Larianne

Could people not park in say, a big retail park area of some sort and then get Dublin Bus (41, 41c,41b) or Swords Express on the main road?