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

KC61

Bluetonic wrote: »

I know nothing of the number of buses only the routes where it's possible they can travel, my comments are in relation to that matter only. If a bus if full leaving Skerries and it's an express there is no point in it going via Rush as it frustrates customers along the route, the Baldungan or Balbriggan routes under these circumstances would be a better option.

I accept the point...at what point are the buses full by? Are they consistently full by Holmpatrick or does it take until Loughshinney or is it beyond on the approaches to Rush?

Unshelved

I accept the point...at what point are the buses full by? Are they consistently full by Holmpatrick or does it take until Loughshinney or is it beyond on the approaches to Rush?

Our bus from Skerries this morning (an unscheduled 6.45am or a late 6.30am - who knows?) was still picking up passengers in Lusk. I think there's going to be a lot of monitoring by Dublin Bus before the timetables are set. Next week and beyond will be much busier so things might change.

Mind you, I'd love it if there were a couple of single decker express buses from Skerries. The thought of thaat bloody Loughshinny, Rush, Lusk detour for the whole winter makes me want to lose the will to live.

dcr22B

Unshelved wrote: »

The thought of thaat bloody Loughshinny, Rush, Lusk detour for the whole winter makes me want to lose the will to live.

Get a good book and be thankful that you probably have a seat.

It's a lottery every morning for us in Lusk wondering how many buses will pass before we get one! :rolleyes:

johndoe21

can anyone please tell me if the 33x buses are actually stopping at Tara St. Dart station as per Dublin Bus website? i get off at connolly!! cheers!!

dcr22B

johndoe21 wrote: »

can anyone please tell me if the 33x buses are actually stopping at Tara St. Dart station as per Dublin Bus website? i get off at connolly!! cheers!!

That's where my wife got off her bus this morning.

johndoe21

cool thanks. ill stick around tomorrow morning for Tara!

The Hill Billy

Breaking News

Independent.ie wrote:

Group set up to minimise Dublin rail disruption
Wednesday August 26 2009

A special group has been set up to help minimise the disruption caused by the collapse of the rail viaduct in the Malahide area of north Dublin last week.
The group includes officials from Fingal County Council, Dublin City Council, Iarnrod Eireann, Bus Eireann, Dublin Bus, the National Roads Authority and the Gardai.

The viaduct collapse has affected rail commuters heading into north Dublin, as well as passengers on the main line to Belfast.

Bus transfers have already been put in place on the line and Dublin Bus has put on extra services in north Dublin to cope with increased demand for its services.

The rail line is expected to take at least three months to repair.

Unshelved

Here's an idea for Skerries commuters - why not have a 33 bus terminus OUTSIDE the railway arch (the Milverton side). To minimise delays to other traffic, you could create a one-way system into Skerries going left at the Shady Lane and right through Milverton towards the arch. That could create enough room for a bus shelter while letting other traffic through.

Could work!

Firedance

Hill Billy wrote: »

Breaking News

great! who are they? do they have a name and how do we contact them with our ideas and suggestions.....:rolleyes:

urbeau

Firedance wrote: »

great! who are they? do they have a name and how do we contact them with our ideas and suggestions.....:rolleyes:

Posted today at 12.20 on www.irishrail.ie

Iarnród Éireann will update this site shortly with an enhanced train service between Dundalk - Skerries with extended services to Donabate from Thursday onwards.

KC61

Also the website now lists the extra trains running from Malahide to Pearse and v.v.:

Extra Services to and from Malahide

From Malahide:
07:30; 07:57; 08:37; 09:10; 10:10; 11:20

From Dublin Pearse:
15:42; 16:16; 17:13; 17:50

cruizer101

Balbriggan seems to be the way, if only they were more trains in the evening so didn't have to drive. Still the Church car park sounds good.

Just to say anyone thinking of driving to Malahide not agreat idea.
I got 6.55 DART on Tuesday and got what I thought was the last parking spot in carpark, only to return that eveening to find some idiot parked about 7-8ft in front of me in area that is meant to be free. I proceeded to spend 15-20 minutes trying to get out to no avail. Thankfully they turned up on next dart 15 minutes later.

Admitadbly this is a rare thing but still carpark there is full at 7, Portmarnock has a huge carpark mind.

dcr22B

urbeau wrote: »

Posted today at 12.20 on www.irishrail.ie

Iarnród Éireann will update this site shortly with an enhanced train service between Dundalk - Skerries with extended services to Donabate from Thursday onwards.

Now this could start making sense, run buses from Donabate into town and leave the bus services for those of us in Rush, Lusk and Skerries?

urbeau

Firedance wrote: »

great! who are they? do they have a name and how do we contact them with our ideas and suggestions.....:rolleyes:

Posted at 12.20 today on irish rail website

Iarnród Éireann will update this site shortly with an enhanced train service between Dundalk - Skerries with extended services to Donabate from Thursday onwards.

jasonbourme.cs

not exactly on topic but worth checking out the link

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/0826/1224253270336.html?via=mr :mad:

dcr22B

Three additional 33X services have been added in the evening at 6.10pm, 6.25pm and 6.40pm

Firedance

I have an annual ticket that will expire at the end of Sept, Irish Rail have told me that I cant get on a replacement bus without a rail ticket, i intend to get the dart from Malahide some days but use the replacement bus from BB on other days so looks like i'll actually be renewing my annual ticket - is that crazy!? whats everyone else doing?

jendafer1

I am very confused - have just moved to Lusk (literally on Sunday - bad timing or what?!). Now my problem is that most days I can get a lift to Killester dart station from Lusk (FYI - left Mon + Tues at 7 got there by 7:25ish, today left at 9:30 - there by 10) but some days I may have to make my own way back to Lusk - can I use these replacement buses? How much does the 33x cost? I'm a student - is there a discount? I have the feeling I'm going to be spending a lot more time in work than I used to...

Eoineo

Firedance wrote: »

I have an annual ticket that will expire at the end of Sept, Irish Rail have told me that I cant get on a replacement bus without a rail ticket, i intend to get the dart from Malahide some days but use the replacement bus from BB on other days so looks like i'll actually be renewing my annual ticket - is that crazy!? whats everyone else doing?

That can't be right. Surely the buses in the morning also have to accommodate one off rail users & monthly ticket holders?

urbeau

Eoineo wrote: »

That can't be right. Surely the buses in the morning also have to accommodate one off rail users & monthly ticket holders?

You can get on the bus if you buy one-off ticket, weekly, monthly etc. and you can still buy there online (ticketmaster), at the machine or over the counter at the station. Of course none of these options give you the tax saving and I expect that is what the problem is here.

KC61

Eoineo wrote: »

That can't be right. Surely the buses in the morning also have to accommodate one off rail users & monthly ticket holders?

A valid rail ticket is needed for the special services from Donabate, Balbriggan or Drogheda - be it single/return or weekly/monthly/annual. Anyone can use them once they have a ticket.

Auvers

Firedance wrote: »

I have an annual ticket that will expire at the end of Sept, Irish Rail have told me that I cant get on a replacement bus without a rail ticket, i intend to get the dart from Malahide some days but use the replacement bus from BB on other days so looks like i'll actually be renewing my annual ticket

get a monthly taxsaver bus\dart ticket until the viaduct is fixed and then renew your annual rail ticket

Peckham

I've been told by Irish Rail that anyone with an Annual Bus/Rail ticket can swap it for a Bus-only ticket and get a refund of €17.50 per month for the outstanding months on their ticket.

jendafer1 - you could buy a 10 journey bus ticket for €18, I think these are valid on the 33x. A cash fare is €3.50 per journey.

Rashers72

Turned up for the 17.20, but there was already a large queue snaking it's way back under the railway bridge. No sign of it, or the 17.30. 17.40 came, and the queue was really long. To be fair an inspector was making announcement, but he could not go down the full length of the queue.
Anyhow at about 17.45, 2 buses turned up, filled instantly and headed off. Still a few left behind.
The traffic was very bad, so I assume they got stuck en-route.

The 6.30am 33X from Skerries was still going towards St Stephens Green today, whereas the 6.45am 33X from Rush train station (which went alongside us all the way) went towards the O2. I rang DB, and they said all 'additional' 33X's should be going to Tara st. Driver error.

KC61

DUBLIN BUS - Irish Rail Replacement Service Arrangements From Monday 31/08/2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009

From Monday 31st August, to facilitate Iarnród Éireann northern commuters the following special bus services will operate. Dublin Bus will honour all valid bus and rail tickets on these services.

33x Skerries/Rush & Lusk
Additional 33x services will operate Monday to Friday from Mourne View, Skerries via the M1 and the Port Tunnel to Tara Street DART Station. Return journeys will depart from Custom House Quay.

From Mourne View (Skerries, via Rush & Lusk) to Tara St. DART Station
06:30 up to 09.00hrs buses will operate every 10 minutes. 33x will then operate at 09.00hrs, 10.00hrs, 11.00hrs, 12.00hrs, 13.00hrs and 16.00hrs.

From Custom House Quay to Skerries/Rush & Lusk
From 17.00hrs to 19.00hrs services will operate every 10 minutes

Regular Route 33 services will operate as per the normal 33 timetable.

Route 33d – Donabate to Tara Street DART Station
This service will operate Monday to Friday from Donabate to Tara Street DART Station via the M1 and the Port Tunnel.

From Donabate Station
07:10, 07:30, 07.50.

From Custom House Quay
17:20, 17:40, 18:00.

Shuttle Service – Donabate Station – Malahide DART Station
From 06.50hrs until 20.00hrs a shuttle bus service will operate between Donabate Station and Malahide DART Station.

The last shuttle service from Donabate to Malahide will depart at 19.50hrs.

The last shuttle service from Malahide to Donabate will depart at 20.20hrs

School Services
A school service at 08:00 will operate from Donabate to Malahide and Portmarnock Community Schools and will return after school hours.

http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/News-Centre/Travel-News/Service-Arrangements/

Eoineo

Spotted the contract buses driving the wrong way up Railway Street on more than one occasion today. I intend to ring the company concerned first thing in the morning but if anybody is on the bus when they do that perhaps they might mention it to the driver as it's an accident waiting to happen.

Gillo

No word on whats in place for the weekend yet?

P_1

Or off peak?

dcr22B

As I'm starting back in college tonight, I decided to drive in. 35 minutes from Lusk to Townsend Street is nearly a record for me and I didn't even go the M1 (which incidentally was flowing nicely at 7.30am this morning).

Will be interesting to compare the same journey next Thursday once the kids are back to school.

hoser expat

dcr22B wrote: »

Three additional 33X services have been added in the evening at 6.10pm, 6.25pm and 6.40pm

Good stuff. In my experience the 33X peak services are working quite well, but what we need now are changing a few of those off-peak (especially evening) 33's to 33X. Nobody wants to sit on a 2 hour bus to Skerries after a few pints in town. I mentioned this to the Dublin Bus guy at Abbey St. yesterday, and he said they couldn't because of the 48 hour work per week rule for bus drivers. But that doesn't make sense as there are obviously drivers still doing the 33 until late.

The 6:45 in from Skerries this morning was almost full but not quite.