Commuting post Malahide Bridge Collapse

Trafford Lad

I just saw this on the Irish Rail site this morning:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/19002296/Drogheda

Buses running direct from Drogheda Train Station via the Port Tunnel to Connolly, and back in the evenings. Annual Rail passes still valid so thats a relief, no shelling out for a new bus ticket. I think the plan is for Dundalk commuters to get the train to Drog and get the buses on to Dublin as well - so you can taunt us with songs about your 9 league titles .

It's anyones guess how long this will go on for.

musicfan

According to Irish Rail, the timetable is only valid for this week - I presume they will want to wait and see if it works! Presumably if it works OK, they will have the same timetable for the next few months......

Do you reckon it will be mental busy in Drogheda train station in the morning? Normally get 7.00am train but think I will probably try and get the bus at 6.30 because I won't know how bad the traffic will be.

My annual ticket expires end of next month (I can use this on the bus from the train station) but do you think IR will continue to issue annual tickets from October say (before the line is up and running) so that I can continue to avail of the tax savings and not have to pay for a full price weekly ticket?

fh041205

Hard to answer any of that musicfan. Its just a case of 'play it by ear' for a while and try to get everything sorted out for all parties concerned. Personally, I think they will continue issuing annual tickets, because they are continuing to issue tickets at the booking office.

JupiterKid

This is a disaster for commuters from Lough and North County Dublin.

The prospect of being stuck in a stuffy coach on a massive tailback on the M1 every morning and evening is not an appealing prospect.:(

delgany

Hi guys, Just saw an article on a news wire, it's pages long but it says that The Railways Acident & Incident Agency carried out a detailed survey of this whole viaduct in 1998 and reported very serious issues with it. It rated it as a 60% risk factor, on a scale where 5% is the acceptable standard. It also stated that some sections of the viaduct were among the most dangerous sections of the railway in Europe!!

Now I can tell you with that little time bomb sitting there on the Railway Inspectorate's desk for the last 11 years with little or nothing being done, they won't be replacing a 20 metre section.

I would say we're looking at a new viaduct here with a cost of around 30 million and a lead time of at a minimum of March next year! You can forget 3 months.

There are a lot of reasonably deep/soft foundations to be dug here, with the added problems of severe scour. (That where the tides drag sand/soil/mud away from around the base of the foundations. Rather like you standing on a beach and the waves wash in around your feet and then when it recedes, it sucks the sand out from beneath you. Same thing here!)

On the good side, a commuter caught the bus from Drogheda station this morning and it took her 41 minutes to get to Connolly (via the tunnel) and another said it took him 57 mins from Dundalk! That's fast! Faster in fact than the train... So let's see what tales transpire over the next few days.

delgany

Sorry! Slight inaccuracy in my last post. The investigation was carried out by the International Risk Management Service which is not directly connected to Iarnrod Eireann.

Also it wasn't amongst the worst section in Europe but only in Ireland, so that'll make us all feel better about travelling over it at 60 mph for the last 11 years! Here's the relevant link below.

In a report by International Risk Management Services (IRMS) in 1998, several stretches of embankment at the Malahide viaduct were deemed to be among the most unsafe stretches of railtrack in Ireland. Embankments at the north and west of the viaduct were given a 60% security risk rating on a scale in which 5%signified best practice.

musicfan

Anybody know how quick the train station in Drogheda filled up this morning? I was there about 20 past 6 this morning and there wasn't many cars but with half of the car park sealed off for buses just wondering at what point was it full?

I got the bus that left about 6.30 and was in Connolly about 40 mins later so was quicker than the train!

Will wait to see what Connolly will be like this evening when everyone descends there between 5 and 6 looking for buses home!

alfaz

musicfan wrote: »

Anybody know how quick the train station in Drogheda filled up this morning? I was there about 20 past 6 this morning and there wasn't many cars but with half of the car park sealed off for buses just wondering at what point was it full?

I got the bus that left about 6.30 and was in Connolly about 40 mins later so was quicker than the train!

Will wait to see what Connolly will be like this evening when everyone descends there between 5 and 6 looking for buses home!

I was there at 7.30 it seemed pretty full then. I walk up to it, but it looked full then.

I said it on the Comutting thread, they did do a very good job today and hopefully it continues. Its going to be interesting to see what its like when the kids are back in school!!!

urbeau

Was there just before 7am and plenty of spaces available.

Have been travelling the route from Laytown for nearly 15 years and Irish Rail have always been a disaster when something goes wrong as they never have a plan B e.g. buses supposed to be laid on when line closed due to signal fault and there are either none at all or just one bus for 400 people!

Based on prior experience of what happens when there is an issue on the line I expected meltdown this morning. I travelled from Laytown to Drog on the 6.45 train and got 7.00 bus. This arrived at Connolly about 7.50 and we had absolutely no delay other than about 3 minutes in line just at the point where you can see the rail bridge from the M1 due to damn rubberneckers!

I think the port tunnel is the wild card here and expect that the earlier busses will be quicker than the train every day due to this. Dont see the schools coming back being an issue once you get a bus leaving Drog before 8am as little or no school traffic in Drog at that time and port tunnel means you will avoid Dublin school traffic.

Road works at the Black Bull are bad news and I can see later busses losing a lot of time there. Even the 7.00 bus lost a few minutes and I think this could stretch to 10-15 later. I hope that Irish Rail will change the route and go instead via the road up by the bus station rather than N1. I think that this is the way most of the Bus Eireann buses go e.g. 100X.

Agree that they did really well today. I had nightmares about the trip today and imagined I would get to work hours late. Getting up 30 minutes before my usual time I actually got to work 30 minutes before my usual time so for me no impact at all on travel time today. Hopefully Irish Rail will keep this going and ensure that we get top quality service every day.

Regarding the bridge works I have no confidence in them getting things fixed any time soon. I reckon it will take several months just to complete investigations and for them to figure out what they are going to do, after that they will have to follow a tendering process no doubt and that will be more months, so dont expect first sod to be turned before Easter. I remember when they put in the new bridge at Laytown and posted notices which advised of 6 months works (for a really easy job) - the works took 14 months from what I remember! I am just praying that the politics work in our favour and the govt expedites getting this crucial bridge up and running again.

I just hope Irish Rail dont use this situation to hike fares again. Every year we get hit with another 8-10% regardless of what inflation is doing or what their costs are. With big spend on fixing the bridge and on paying out for busses I am concerned that we will be thumped at end of year with another rise and maybe even in excess of the usual. I intend to start writing to Irish Rail, local cllrs and politicians asap and feel lots of us need to do same to avert this.

Biggins

alfaz wrote: »

...Its going to be interesting to see what its like when the kids are back in school!!!

Hell and chaos springs to mind at the begining.

Looking at the situation and what has to be done, I'd easily say 6 months to a year before things are back to a normal train situation.
I hope I'm proved wrong and its earlier.

fh041205

Well since this is in the Louth section. In Drogheda terms its shouldn't be too difficult when the kids come back. 95%+ of them are going to Dundalk/Balbriggan which is currently still being served by the train so no more buses required. There are very very few who go elsewhere.

Carb

Whilst the mornings seem to be running fine so far at the time I travel, (6.30 train from Dundalk, 7.00 bus), the evenings have been a shambles. The time lost waiting on a train to Dundalk is very frustrating. Everything seems to centre around the handful of people that are still using the Belfast service whilst the majority who are trying to get to Dundalk daily are left standing.

Stealdo

Looks like I'll have to start using this bus service from next week, so I've got a couple of questions....

What times are the 7:00 and 7:30 bus services getting in to Connolly?
Any inconsistency?
Is there any issue with getting a spot on these buses? Has anyone had to wait for the next service because of buses being full?
Is there any issues with parking at that early stage?
How much is a monthly ticket to Connolly?

musicfan

Stealdo wrote: »

Looks like I'll have to start using this bus service from next week, so I've got a couple of questions....

What times are the 7:00 and 7:30 bus services getting in to Connolly?
Any inconsistency?
Is there any issue with getting a spot on these buses? Has anyone had to wait for the next service because of buses being full?
Is there any issues with parking at that early stage?
How much is a monthly ticket to Connolly?

Buses don't run at exactly the times on the timetable. They have a constant supply of buses and as soon as they fill up (or nearly fill up) they take off. One usually seems to go about 6.30, another one seems to go about 5-10 mins later and then another 5-10 mins later so there is no problem getting on one in the morning or waiting ages for one. There is a train from Dundalk that arrives in Drogheda about 7 so I think the buses around that time are very busy and seem to fill up very quickly.

I normally try to get a bus about 6.45 or so and usaully get into Connolly anytime between 7.25/7.40 roughly depending on the traffic - I'm sure the buses that leave later e.g. after 7 will hit more traffic on the motorway and will take longer..... the bus on Monday morning that crashed on the M1 obviously took longer:eek:

I'd say about 7am you should have no problem with parking at the station - not too sure after that as there is reduced capacity with all the buses.

Anybody know what the buses are like late on Friday evenings coming back from Connolly are like? Do they leave at the time according to the timetable??? Likewise Saturday morning or afternoon??

fh041205

I get a bus around 7.40. Usually takes just under an hour.

Just a warning on buses back from connolly. Well, one bus in particular the 23.20. Two weeks ago a group of a bout 6 of us were informed while waiting in the car park, that the bus actually goes from the bus stop outside the station. We were told this at 23.19 (:eek:) by an IR staff member who insisted he was 'obliging' us by letting us know.

Stealdo

Thanks Music Fan, great info. I've got my week's ticket bought anyway and will be giving it a shot from Monday.

Chris83

Hello

Does anyone know if this has been repaired?

Thanks

Pighead

Chris83 wrote: »

Hello

Does anyone know if this has been repaired?

Thanks

All fixed Chris. Think they fixed it some time in October.

gipi

Yes, rail services resumed last November.

Chris83

Pighead wrote: »

All fixed Chris. Think they fixed it some time in October.

Thanks, going over that way soon from Liverpool, didnt fancy the bus again! :pac: