Can this train be depended on?

sitstill

Twice this week I tried to get the 21.35 train from Maynooth to Connolly. Its meant to be non stop as its coming from down the country somewhere. But on Monday it didn't arrive until 22.00 and tonight 22.05. Does anyone know why this train was late? Is it always so late? Im going to be working late in Maynooth a bit but will have to make other arrangements if I cant depend on this train. Thanks

Victor

http://www.irishrail.ie/
http://www.irishrail.ie/your_journey/printed_timetable_pdfs/2009/Dublin%20Maynooth%2009.pdf

There is a 2136/2138 (Intercity, arrive Connolly 2205) and a 2201 (commuter, arrive Connolly 2230), no 2235. Are you infact missing the earlier train completely and getting the later one?

Intermediate timings tend to be a little tight, with extra time added at the end, so you should arrive at Connolly on time. What time did it get you to Connolly at?

GerardKeating

sitstill wrote: »

Twice this week I tried to get the 21.35 train from Maynooth to Connolly. Its meant to be non stop as its coming from down the country somewhere. But on Monday it didn't arrive until 22.00 and tonight 22.05. Does anyone know why this train was late? Is it always so late? Im going to be working late in Maynooth a bit but will have to make other arrangements if I cant depend on this train. Thanks

what time did you arrive at the station, sounds like you are either missing the train , or the service did not run, either way you are getting the next one.

sitstill

Sorry to clarify, the train I wanted to get was the 21.36 Intercity from Maynooth. On both occasions I was at the station before 21.30 and it was announced that the train was running late.

karlr42

There must have been an Intercity train late last night all right, the 2205 Commuter to Pearse was held behind it at Maynooth and was also consequently late - an Intercity set passed me at Clonsilla at 22:20. Would this have been a very late running 21:36?

KC61

It is possible for an Intercity service to be delayed - the train in question is the 1900 from Sligo. It has to wait at passing loops to pass three westward trains en route, and if any of them are late, then it will have a knock-on effect and will cause the eastbound service to run late, as happened to you on the two occasions that you mentioned.

It can be late, but I'd be surprised if it happened the majority of the time.

T Corolla

Those services are becoming poor. I notice that all the trains seemed to have to wait for oncoming trains at Edgeworthtown for at least ten minutes if not more. I read on other forums that the 19:05 ex Connolly to sligo is held up in maynooth as the 17:00 ex Sligo can not get passed a commuter train due to some problem thus delaying the train arriving in Edgeworthtown and delaying the 19:00 ex Sligo. I have to use the 19:05 ex Connolly up and down and was surprised to see that the commuter pulled up in its way not once but every time. Could IR not request for the train to drive passed the train station to the siding and allow the intercity services to pass without distruption. A simple change to the timetable would help alot

KC61

T Corolla wrote: »

Those services are becoming poor. I notice that all the trains seemed to have to wait for oncoming trains at Edgeworthtown for at least ten minutes if not more. I read on other forums that the 19:05 ex Connolly to sligo is held up in maynooth as the 17:00 ex Sligo can not get passed a commuter train due to some problem thus delaying the train arriving in Edgeworthtown and delaying the 19:00 ex Sligo. I have to use the 19:05 ex Connolly up and down and was surprised to see that the commuter pulled up in its way not once but every time. Could IR not request for the train to drive passed the train station to the siding and allow the intercity services to pass without distruption. A simple change to the timetable would help alot

Unfortunately with the increase in frequency to 8 trains per day that means that most trains have to pass three trains in each direction, at Maynooth, Edgeworthstown and Boyle.

When trains are passing other trains on single track routes at passing loops one of them has to have extra time built into their schedule to allow for late running. Going towards Sligo this occurs at Boyle, and returning it occurs at Edgeworthstown. Without this the schedule could totally collapse, and it is standard industry practice.

As for the commuter service not clearing the platform at Maynooth, I'm not sure why this happens. There seems to be a wish for all Sligo trains to serve the "up" platform, i.e. the one with the station building - accessibility perhaps?

thebman

From my experience not only do trains leave Maynooth late sometimes they can leave early by my phone clock synced to network and the stations own clock by about 5 minutes so from my experience turn up early as well as the train being able to be a few minutes late.

I don't think I've gotten that particular train but mostly commuter trains are on time to Maynooth anytime I've had to get them which varies all through the evening.

fh041205

With all due respect thebman, I doubt that trains leave early at all for one simple reason. RUI would be up in arms if they did. You would also get crowds of people being left behind on the platform which, i'm sure, would also create quite a noise about it.

karlr42

You underestimate the ability of Irish people to lie back and not make a fuss.

thebman

fh041205 wrote: »

With all due respect thebman, I doubt that trains leave early at all for one simple reason. RUI would be up in arms if they did. You would also get crowds of people being left behind on the platform which, i'm sure, would also create quite a noise about it.

They do leave early, are you suggesting my clock and CIE's are wrong? I was early for the train as I had an interview last time. I had to get the next one and a taxi instead of the bus to make the interview on time.

Other people on the platform were asking the same question, the only reason there was no fuss is there was an express train to conolly 5 minutes after where everyone else was going, I didn't have that luxury. I had to wait about 40 minutes for the next train. Didn't really bother me, when I have time important things, I always get the train/bus before the one I should get in case something like that happens.

This is Ireland and complaining does not cause change, you just get fobbed off by the Irish Rail guys in the station who don't see it as their problem or fobbed off if you email in or most likely ignored. Public transport run by a public company leads to these results on complaints TBH.

fh041205

thebman wrote: »

They do leave early, are you suggesting my clock and CIE's are wrong?

Yes. Its not that important to me anyway since I don't use it at all regularly. My advice to anyone who relys on any train service is don't. Get the earlier train (if possible) or have a plan B of some sort. Obviously not everyone can do this, but if you can then try not to rely on the train too heavily. Its not worth the extra half hour in bed!

L1011

KC61 wrote: »

As for the commuter service not clearing the platform at Maynooth, I'm not sure why this happens. There seems to be a wish for all Sligo trains to serve the "up" platform, i.e. the one with the station building - accessibility perhaps?

The wheelchair ramp on the Down platform reaches a brick wall (literally!), meaning that wheelchair passengers have to use the access road to the former station masters house. So do foot passengers who use that gate rather than cross the bridge, but anyway...

Victor

fh041205 wrote: »

With all due respect thebman, I doubt that trains leave early at all for one simple reason. RUI would be up in arms if they did. You would also get crowds of people being left behind on the platform which, i'm sure, would also create quite a noise about it.

Actually, there are complaints of trains leaving early.

Part of this is due to the different Irish Rail systems havign different times.

MOH

KC61 wrote: »

It is possible for an Intercity service to be delayed - the train in question is the 1900 from Sligo. It has to wait at passing loops to pass three westward trains en route, and if any of them are late, then it will have a knock-on effect and will cause the eastbound service to run late, as happened to you on the two occasions that you mentioned.

It can be late, but I'd be surprised if it happened the majority of the time.

I get the Sligo train as far as Carrick on Shannon and back once or twice a month. In my experience it's unusual for one of the journeys not to be late, by at least ten minutes. Last time it was 40 minutes, which included a scheduled 10 minute wait at Edgeworthstown, which had become 20 minutes, before the driver came on to say the train we were waiting on should be there in the next five minutes "please God". It appears Irish Rail are now relying on divine intervention.

fh041205 wrote: »

With all due respect thebman, I doubt that trains leave early at all for one simple reason. RUI would be up in arms if they did. You would also get crowds of people being left behind on the platform which, i'm sure, would also create quite a noise about it.

DART certainly leave early on a fairly regular basis.

sitstill

Well I tried to get the 21:36 again last night, this time arriving at the station at 21:20 - and guess what - it arrived at 21:55!

Absolutely crazy.

KC61

The reality is that when you have a long single track line you are totally dependent on everything going right.

It only takes one train to be delayed for the whole line to be affected. The train that you are going for is the 1900 from Sligo - it has to pass the 1600, 1705, 1818 and 1905 services from Connolly. If one of those is late then it will cause your train to be late.

sitstill

KC61 wrote: »

The reality is that when you have a long single track line you are totally dependent on everything going right.

It only takes one train to be delayed for the whole line to be affected. The train that you are going for is the 1900 from Sligo - it has to pass the 1600, 1705, 1818 and 1905 services from Connolly. If one of those is late then it will cause your train to be late.

So in that case then, the timetable is basically aspirational? lol

KC61

sitstill wrote: »

So in that case then, the timetable is basically aspirational? lol

I'm just trying to explain how that train can be late on that route. It shouldn't happen to the degree that it is, but it does appear that that particular service tends to be seriously affected by late running.

In summary, if you are going for a train from Maynooth, you are far better off choosing a local train that is starting there as there are far less external factors that can impact on its schedule.

MOH

KC61 wrote: »

The reality is that when you have a long single track line you are totally dependent on everything going right.

It only takes one train to be delayed for the whole line to be affected. The train that you are going for is the 1900 from Sligo - it has to pass the 1600, 1705, 1818 and 1905 services from Connolly. If one of those is late then it will cause your train to be late.

And also if any of the earlier trains back or forth were significantly late you'll suffer the knock-on effect

thomasj

KC61 wrote: »

The reality is that when you have a long single track line you are totally dependent on everything going right.

It only takes one train to be delayed for the whole line to be affected. The train that you are going for is the 1900 from Sligo - it has to pass the 1600, 1705, 1818 and 1905 services from Connolly. If one of those is late then it will cause your train to be late.

dont forget the 1715 thrown in there!

Realistically though, KC61 is correct. the idea is to get whatever train is there if the commuter train leaves first, you should take that as that train will be the first to reach your destination. The non-stop wont as it cant by-pass/overtake the commuter train.

I also agree with Karl that with regards to commuter trains at Maynooth. If an intercity train is late then tough! the commuter train shouldn't be held up because the intercity train is late.