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

Auvers

Larianne wrote: »

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?

nah if you want to park in the big retail park *cough* airside *cough* they will clamp your car

Canoga

I cannot believe how bad the proposed contingency plans are. There is going to be complete chaos until a real alternative is put in place. As far as I can see the only workable alternative is a direct train from each affected station to the city centre at regular intervals during peak hours. Where are our public representatives? They should be demanding that proper services are put in place to minimise the disruption. Instead they are sitting back, waiting until the whole city and its environs come to a complete standstill and then they'll come out and complain. Perhaps I'm too cynical but I think if it was the southern commuter line that was being affected the response would have been far better!

I live in Balbriggan and if I was to get the bus in and out every day I would be spending 8 hours on the bus...and that's not taking into account the horrendous traffic delays

I hope other people are as angry as me and that they make sure to voice their criticisms to their public representatives and the department of transport who are ultimately responsible for sorting out this mess

Wishbone Ash

Auvers wrote: »

nah if you want to park in the big retail park *cough* airside *cough* they will clamp your car

Ease off on the scare-mongering! :rolleyes:

I've parked in Airside on many occasions for several hours without shopping there and was never clamped. If there was clamping in operation, they would have signage in place indicating this.

Sparky84

It gets worse. Anybody with a monthly / yearly train ticket will have to also pay for buses. :mad:
Just goes to prove if you work in this country ya must be mad

Unshelved

Decided not to rely on the vagaries of Dublin Bus so we drove into town. Left Skerries at 6.30 and we were in work in the south city centre by 7.15. Pretty plain sailing all the way. However Monday isn't a typical day - traffic is usually much heavier on Tuesdays and Wednesdays - and it'll be a lot worse next week with the schools back.

Passed the 33X parked near the garage on the Dublin Road - didn't seem to be very busy. Did anyone use the buses? Were they accepting rail tickets?

The Hill Billy

Latest Update from Irish Rail as at 06:50 24.08.2009
Link here to go directly to the Irish Rail webpage for the links referred to below.

UPDATE Northern Commuter & Belfast Enterprise services: Mon 24th to Fri 28th August by Corporate Communications


UPDATE 06.50HRS 24TH AUGUST There is significant disruption to Northern commuter, and Belfast Enterprise services due to a serious incident in which a 20 metre section of the viaduct has given way across Broadmeadow estuary, North of Malahide Station on Friday the 21st of August.

The following service arrangements will be in operation from Monday 24th August to Friday 28th August - PLEASE NOTE CHANGES TO DONABATE ARRANGEMENTS:

Intercity: Enterprise
Scheduled train services will operate in both directions between Belfast and Drogheda with a direct bus connection between Drogheda and Dublin Connolly. Existing train times will operate. Delays of approximately 30 minutes can be expected on arrival in Connolly and Belfast.

Northern Commuter – Dundalk/Drogheda to Skerries rail service:
A limited Dundalk/Drogheda to Skerries rail service will operate. There will be no connecting bus services for these trains.

Customers travelling to/from the city centre are advised of the following arrangements:

Dundalk/Drogheda/Laytown/Gormanston to city centre: alternative bus services

A special bus service will operate directly between Drogheda and Dublin Connolly. Rail tickets are valid on these special services. Customers from Dundalk, Laytown and Gormanston can connect to this special bus service by using the Dundalk/Drogheda to Skerries rail services. This bus service will use the Dublin Port Tunnel. Please note there is reduced capacity at Drogheda Station car park, to provide an area for the bus service departures and arrivals. If you live nearby the station, please walk or cycle to the station, or please car pool with other commuters.

For timings from your station, please download the appropriate timetable below:

Dundalk timetable click here
Drogheda timetables click here
Laytown timetable click here
Gormanston timetable click here



Balbriggan/Skerries/Rush & Lusk/Donabate to city centre: additional bus services

For Balbriggan/Skerries/Rush&Lusk, Dublin Bus will provide an enhanced No. 33 bus service and will accept rail tickets on this service. Passengers are to board the No. 33 at the scheduled stops to Dublin City Centre (Lower Abbey Street) and return from Lower Abbey Street. Additional buses will use the Dublin Port Tunnel, in line with Route 33X. Regular no. 33 timetable is available on the Dublin Bus website http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/Your-Journey1/Timetables/All-Timetables/33/ and additional bus times will operate to meet the increased demand. Individual station information is below.

Skerries timetable click here
Balbriggan timetable click here
Rush & Lusk timetable click here



Donabate
An enhanced peak-time bus shuttle service will operate directly between Donabate Station (Dublin Bus Stop) and Malahide Train Station to connect with DART services. A limited off-peak bus shuttle service will operate between Malahide and Donabate. Dublin Bus are honouring train tickets. No Rail services will operate from Donabate.

Donabate timetable click here

Peak services: Donabate Station to Malahide DART Station: 07.00, 07.30, 08.00, 08.30, 09.00.

Malahide DART Station to Donabate Station: 17.00, 17.30, 18.00, 18.30, 19.00.



Dublin Connolly to Drogheda
A direct bus transfer will be in place between Dublin Connolly and Drogheda.

Dublin Connolly timetable click here

Tara Street & Pearse Station to DroghedaNorthern Commuters from Tara Street & Pearse Station are advised to take the DART to Dublin Connolly to avail of bus transfers to Drogheda.

Dublin Connolly timetable click here


DART: Normal DART Services will operate, including to/from Malahide.

Due to the severe damage to the viaduct, we regret to inform customers that the line across the estuary will not reopen for at least three months, with resulting disruption continuing.

Iarnród Éireann apologises for the severe inconvenience caused.

Unshelved

Thanks HillBilly - I saw this on the IR website last night, but the details are so vague. What exactly do they mean by an "enhanced" service though? There should be timetables at least. Are we supposed to turn up at the station and hope for the best? I'm assuming that we can use our monthly or annual tickets on these buses - I'm certainly not paying extra for the dubious privilege of travelling by bus.

IR really need to get their act together and start to organise this a LOT better.

Alan Farrell

Unshelved wrote: »

Decided not to rely on the vagaries of Dublin Bus so we drove into town. Left Skerries at 6.30 and we were in work in the south city centre by 7.15. Pretty plain sailing all the way. However Monday isn't a typical day - traffic is usually much heavier on Tuesdays and Wednesdays - and it'll be a lot worse next week with the schools back.

Passed the 33X parked near the garage on the Dublin Road - didn't seem to be very busy. Did anyone use the buses? Were they accepting rail tickets?

Strangely quiet on all local roads around Malahide, I expected chaos. A Irish Rail man standing outside the entrance to the DART Station waving people off was a bit stupid, I have no doubt once the traffic picks up next week that will cause a great deal of pain in the mornings.

hoser expat

I took the 33x at 6:45 from Skerries. Was fine through Skerries but was full by Loughshinny, and it zoomed past everyone in Rush. Made it to Abbey St by 7:35. Obviously taking the port tunnnel halped a lot.

The only problem I noticed was that the buses aren't going from the Skerries train station....they bypass that and go down Dublin Road and then main street. I thought all buses went through the train station?

shaungil

Cycled in left Skerries at 6.30 in city centre for 7.30 , roads a bit busier than normal I thought (normally only cycle Friday though) and were a few more cyclists than normal.

Am interested to hear about anyone getting the bus though. Esp nex week when schools are back and the heavens open.

dcr22B

To say that I'm genuinely surprised this morning is an UNDERSTATEMENT.

Got up at 6.30am and was waiting for the regular 33X at 6.55am (which subsequently passed full). Hopped in the car and drove to the train station as they were running direct buses from there via DPT into town. Boarded at 7.20am (subsequently passed my home stop and picked up, €8 a week + petrol straight off) and arrived in Talbot Street at 7.50am.

The next few months may not be as bad as I feared although I'll reserve judgement until the kids go back to school.

hoser expat

Don't turn up a the station (at least in Skerries). I went there this morning and was told to catch buses from teh stop outside the Texaco station.

Alan Farrell

dcr22B wrote: »

To say that I'm genuinely surprised this morning is an UNDERSTATEMENT.

Got up at 6.30am and was waiting for the regular 33X at 6.55am (which subsequently passed full). Hopped in the car and drove to the train station as they were running direct buses from there via DPT into town. Boarded at 7.20am (subsequently passed my home stop and picked up, €8 a week + petrol straight off) and arrived in Talbot Street at 7.50am.

The next few months may not be as bad as I feared although I'll reserve judgement until the kids go back to school.

Fingers crossed but I would imagine that the kids will destroy whatever happy arrangements are made.

Gillo

I still can't believe Bus Eireann aren't taking rail tickets, that would take a massive strain from Balbriggan and free up the 33 for Skerries, Rush and Lusk. Was anyone down at the stations this morning, curious to know what happened.

Alan Farrell

Canoga wrote: »

I cannot believe how bad the proposed contingency plans are. There is going to be complete chaos until a real alternative is put in place. As far as I can see the only workable alternative is a direct train from each affected station to the city centre at regular intervals during peak hours. Where are our public representatives? They should be demanding that proper services are put in place to minimise the disruption. Instead they are sitting back, waiting until the whole city and its environs come to a complete standstill and then they'll come out and complain. Perhaps I'm too cynical but I think if it was the southern commuter line that was being affected the response would have been far better!

Local reps must all be on holiday... Still, from what I've heard so far this morning nightmare stories don't seem to feature. Tbh, the additional buses seem to be working.

Anyone thinking of driving to Malahide can park on the Coast Road car park opposite The Island View Hotel/Oscar Taylors for free. Its 500 metres down the coast road toward Portmarnock.

Sparky84 wrote: »

It gets worse. Anybody with a monthly / yearly train ticket will have to also pay for buses. :mad:
Just goes to prove if you work in this country ya must be mad

I heard the complete opposite, they are honouring all tickets.

Eoineo

Some children are starting back as early as Wednesday so maybe the rest of the week won't be so easy. Took my other half 35 mins to get from Balbriggan to Howth Junction area (leaving at 7.05) so it's not too bad today.

Mehh

Got the 101 Bus in Balbriggan at 7:00 and was in town for 8:10 which is grand. Although, he wouldn't take train tickets which is a joke :mad:

dcr22B

Sparky84 wrote: »

It gets worse. Anybody with a monthly / yearly train ticket will have to also pay for buses. :mad:
Just goes to prove if you work in this country ya must be mad

They didn't even check our tickets getting on the bus this morning!

darraghjm

Arrived at the bus stop at balbriggan church at 6.50, no bus till 7.25, somebody rang dublin bus and they said buses were running from skerries train station to town every 15minutes but not from balbriggan, at balbriggan train station they were telling people to go to the bus stop at the church. bus left at 7.25 and got to town at 8.45, it was a 33x as well that went balbriggan, skerries, rush lusk and then onto the motorway at swords and thru the port tunnel.
Surely there would be enough people to warrant a couple bus going direct from balbriggan up the motorway to dublin if there were buses leaving every 15minutes from skerries station.
bit of nightmare first day, but a first day so i expected some hickups, hopefully it will get better as the week goes on.

cruizer101

I went to skerries station this morning about 7ish and there was group of people standing there beside a bus. So i thought grand however in the time it took me to get a ticket for car bus had pulled off even though he could clearly see me getting a ticket.

Anyway, bus was still going through rush lusk and then onto M1 afaik and tbh while wouldn't mind getting bus in too much Abbey street is going to be a complete mess this evening.

So onto plan B, Malahide was there for about 730 but no parking left in station, and I don't know Malahide that well so didn't know where I could park.

Plan C, I drove on to Portmarnock, which has a MASSIVE carpark. Then while waiting for the 750 DART a commuter turned up. Apparently it started in Malahide, and was waiting for the shutlle buses coming from Donabate, it then went on to pearse. Now this wasn't on the displays or anything and when we got to Tara st I saw a confused looking Rail worker looking at his book trying to figure out which train it was. So seems Irish rail aren't to sure what contingencies they have put in place.

aniascor

Mehh wrote: »

Got the 101 Bus in Balbriggan at 7:00 and was in town for 8:10 which is grand. Although, he wouldn't take train tickets which is a joke :mad:

How full was the 101? And did it still make the usual stops in swords and at the airport?

Auvers

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Ease off on the scare-mongering! :rolleyes:

I've parked in Airside on many occasions for several hours without shopping there and was never clamped. If there was clamping in operation, they would have signage in place indicating this.

when I lived in Swords i used to get the 41x and the Sword express and i have seen lots of cars clamped in the airside by people that used to leave their cars while commuting to the city.

So you may of been lucky the few times you parked

jasonbourme.cs

slightly off topic , i travel in from greystones and at the start of the year there was slight subsidence on one of the tunnels between bray and greystones .

it took irish rail 7 - 8 weeks to "assess and repair" the damage .

in the interim they had limited shuttle services than ill be honest badly run and often overcrowded well above max capacity and these buses stopped after 6 o clock in the evening.

now the actual problem that occured in my case was relatively small and it took almost 2 months , god help yous all who are travelling in from north , id be amazed if its fixed before christmas :eek:

crótach

Did anyone try the "enhanced" no.33 bus service from Skerries?

I know it's crap at the best of times, takes an hour and a half to get to Abbey street if it doesn't hit traffic.

It normally takes me 1.5 hours to get in to work, and that's door to door, walk to the station, train to connolly, luas to heuston and walk in to work.
With the 33 bus I figure it would add at least 30 minutes each way to my journey, brining my daily commute to 4 hours or more.

This morning I got up early and drove in. Woke up at 6, on the road at 6:20. I arrived at the office just before 7. That's HALF my commuting time on the train! Jesus what was I thinking of, going with Iarnrod Eireann in the first place?!

I rang them today to ask about getting a refund. A nice and relaxed lad told me they haven't decided how they're going to handle refunds for annual ticket holders (taxsaver) and the tax implications, but that they're having a meeting today and they'll have more information tomorrow.

liamh22

Living in Donabate & drove OH to Malahide this morning to connect with the 7.13 Dart, while driving through the village saw the bus 33B turning at Supervalu, obviously now after reading earlier post this must have been the 7.00 in the Irish rail website

Theres no way that bus would have made this Dart so anyone who normally got the 7.20 train from Donabate & has decided to avail of this 7.00 bus will have to get the later Dart from Malahide with all the attendant problems (crowding etc..)

Seems to me there needs to be an earlier bus from Donbate to Malahide, 6.45 or thereabouts

Moonbeam

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/emergency--arrangements-for-trainusers-1867609.html

http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/News-Centre/Travel-News/Additional-Bus-Services-due-to-incident-at-Broadmeadow-Estuary-North-of-Malahide-Station-/

regula1

hoser expat wrote: »

I took the 33x at 6:45 from Skerries. Was fine through Skerries but was full by Loughshinny, and it zoomed past everyone in Rush. Made it to Abbey St by 7:35. Obviously taking the port tunnnel halped a lot.

2 lots of 33x buses zoomed past me at Rush &Lusk train station - ended up getting a regular 33 which took forever. I'm not even convinced the 33x was full as it seemed to stop in lusk ahead of the 33.
When we passed over the motorway (towards swords), it seemed to be chocker block but maybe it wasn't as bad as it looked if you made it in by 7.35.
If the 33x is never going to be empty enough to stop at Rush and Lusk then I'll have to drive to skerries I guess or start cycling.

dcr22B

regula1 wrote: »

2 lots of 33x buses zoomed past me at Rush &Lusk train station - ended up getting a regular 33 which took forever. I'm not even convinced the 33x was full as it seemed to stop in lusk ahead of the 33.
When we passed over the motorway (towards swords), it seemed to be chocker block but maybe it wasn't as bad as it looked if you made it in by 7.35.
If the 33x is never going to be empty enough to stop at Rush and Lusk then I'll have to drive to skerries I guess or start cycling.

The 33X that I got from Rush & Lusk station at 7.20am was half full and still had seats on it as we left Lusk.

regula1

shaungil wrote: »

Cycled in left Skerries at 6.30 in city centre for 7.30 , roads a bit busier than normal I thought (normally only cycle Friday though) and were a few more cyclists than normal.

Am interested to hear about anyone getting the bus though. Esp nex week when schools are back and the heavens open.

I always thought it was a bit too far or dangerous to cycle from Rush but it might be worth a try. What route do you cycle in? Any chance you got a mapmyrun link?

Peckham

Is there a timetable for the additional 33X services. I went for the 33X that I normally get in Lusk at 7.00, but it passed by full. Went home as my wife was riving in later and took a lift with her. Noticed another 33X in Lusk at about 7.20am, and it would seem from other posts above that there were further ones later during the rush hour.

Particuarly would like to know what's happening this evening. Will there be a few 33Xs leaving from Stephens Green? Or will it just be the normal one, with any additional services leaving from Abbey Street?