Drogheda-Dublin trains after viaduct fixed

Kaylee

Just thinkin, don't know about you guys but the direct bus from Drogheda to Dublin is actually working out better for me.

Does anybody think that when the bridge is fixed and the trains are running again Iaronrod Eireann might consider a few more direct (or at least with maybe just one or two stops) trains Dublin-Drogheda/Drogheda-Dublin at peak hours?

(For instance I usually get the 4:19 from Tara to Drogheda and it stops in Raheny, Portmarnock and Malahide and all the main line stations - don't we have a Dart for these?)

What do you guys think?

KC61

Kaylee wrote: »

Just thinkin, don't know about you guys but the direct bus from Drogheda to Dublin is actually working out better for me.

Does anybody think that when the bridge is fixed and the trains are running again Iaronrod Eireann might consider a few more direct (or at least with maybe just one or two stops) trains Dublin-Drogheda/Drogheda-Dublin at peak hours?

(For instance I usually get the 4:19 from Tara to Drogheda and it stops in Raheny, Portmarnock and Malahide and all the main line stations - don't we have a Dart for these?)

What do you guys think?

While desireable - where is the rolling stock to operate this going to come from? The entire commuter fleet is fully rostered!

positron

Can they not make the existing services run faster? And may be tweak the dart timetable ever so slightly so that Dart services run right after the commuter trains, rather than before (causing the commuter trains to crawl along south of Howth).

Kaylee

I take your point KC61, I just think it's a good opportunity to have a look at the Drogheda-Dublin service and improve it a bit.

Altering the Dart timetable seems like one good, easily implemented suggestion.



(After all, Drogheda & Dundalk folks are paying a premium for this service )

elekid

Some of those trains have to stop in Portmarnock/Malahide to make up the DART timetable. Due to the split at Howth Junction there are actually a lot more DARTs that go to Howth rather than Malahide (there are noticeable gaps in the timetable to and from Malahide since the bridge collapse). I agree they could timetable better, you'd often see a Howth DART going directly before a Drogheda train which doesn't make sense at all and holds the whole thing up.

I wouldn't hold my breath though. I actually emailed Irish Rail to ask if they could alter the DART timetable while the bridge is collapsed to create more balance between Howth and Malahide DARTs and they replied to more or less say it would be too much effort for them :rolleyes:

It's interesting to hear people are finding the bus better than the train, I'm sure that's the last thing Irish Rail want to hear!

Bluetonic

Kaylee wrote: »

Just thinkin, don't know about you guys but the direct bus from Drogheda to Dublin is actually working out better for me.

Does anybody think that when the bridge is fixed and the trains are running again Iaronrod Eireann might consider a few more direct (or at least with maybe just one or two stops) trains Dublin-Drogheda/Drogheda-Dublin at peak hours?

(For instance I usually get the 4:19 from Tara to Drogheda and it stops in Raheny, Portmarnock and Malahide and all the main line stations - don't we have a Dart for these?)

What do you guys think?

Would you be still happy to get the bus if you were paying the true value of providing such a service?

I don't know the exact amounts but I know its considerably more than what is being paid by a passenger now.

KC61

After the bridge reopens I understand that with the introduction of the new timetable the entire Dublin suburban operation is to be recast with a new clockface DART service (every 15 minutes all day - enhanced at peak times) which will have implications for all of the other routes.

However what exactly is planned I'm not sure. I hear what you're saying, but there are finite resources available and this does impact on the ability of the rail company to provide services.

elekid wrote: »

I wouldn't hold my breath though. I actually emailed Irish Rail to ask if they could alter the DART timetable while the bridge is collapsed to create more balance between Howth and Malahide DARTs and they replied to more or less say it would be too much effort for them :rolleyes:

Rescheduling trains is not a simple process. It does take considerable time as rolling stock rosters, driver rosters have to be redesigned, you have to look at the impact on other services of the changes - do they cause potential conflicts. It is a process that takes some time.

Empire o de Sun

The problem for me is that there are too many commuter trains and not enough Darts on the Northern Line

DWCommuter

What a learning curve this whole viaduct collapse has been. My son (who's in school in Dundalk) was a regular northern line commuter on Fridays and Sundays/Mondays. Since the collapse, he's discovered Matthews bus and will be sticking with it due to price and efficiency. Goodbye IE!! Hello M1!

shamwari

Well the Viaduct has indeed been a learning curve and thought many to believe that YES there is a viable alternative to overcrowded and inhumane commuter trains. Many of my friends here in Rush and a few in Lusk have written to Dublin Bus asking them to continue the 33X after the line reopens. The parish council in Donabate is also pushing for the 33D to be kept. Similar anecdotes are emerging in Balbriggan & Drogheda about bus services continuing after the line reopens. The buses are without doubt going to hammer the core business of IE on the Northern line.

Personally, if I had a choice going forward, I think I'd stay on the bus.

AlekSmart

Personally, if I had a choice going forward, I think I'd stay on the bus.

Shamwari`s sentiment is one I`m hearing a lot of lately and it does go to show that the effective and well organized combination of Public AND Private Bus/Coach is able to attract positive sentiment.

However...whilst writing to Dublin Bus or Bus Éireann may well be thought of a pro-active and done in good faith,it will have little ACTUAL effect as the entire area of Route Licences remains the jealously guarded preserve of the Department of Transport.

I would therefore suggest that any and all communications to the Bus Companies are CC`d to the Minister for Transport and the Secretary General of The Department of Transport.

It would also help if such communications were in LETTER form and also perhaps sent via the Local TD`s,some of whom ARE far more in tune with Public Transport matters than the current Minister will ever be......

positron

I think this is partly because while we improved our roads (speed and capacity by adding M1 and port tunnel), the train service still remains firmly in the 70s or 80s. I don't think the speed or quality of the service has improved in decades. I remember reading somewhere that the trains are getting slower if anything, where as the cars and coaches are getting faster with better, wider roads.

I have been commuting Drogheda-Connolly last 4 years. I am now considering bus instead.

shamwari

positron wrote: »

I think this is partly because while we improved our roads (speed and capacity by adding M1 and port tunnel), the train service still remains firmly in the 70s or 80s. I don't think the speed or quality of the service has improved in decades. I remember reading somewhere that the trains are getting slower if anything, where as the cars and coaches are getting faster with better, wider roads.

I have been commuting Drogheda-Connolly last 4 years. I am now considering bus instead.

The rail journey times compared to road are very competitive. It is the gross and sickeningly uncomfortable overcrowding that I can no longer stand. The bus has shown me the very basics of comfort which the train is badly lacking.

Hungerford

shamwari wrote: »

The rail journey times compared to road are very competitive. It is the gross and sickeningly uncomfortable overcrowding that I can no longer stand. The bus has shown me the very basics of comfort which the train is badly lacking.

The collapse has really emphasised how far backwards train travel has gone in recent years with the introduction of the 'modern' railcars.

I would hastily like to add that I am a proponent of railcars and am a major fan of the 22k series but the current commuter fleet is noisy and uncomfortable.

I have, over the past few months, realised just how noisy the 29000 series railcars are and how spartan their interiors are. The funny thing is that NIR's C3K series, which is very similar in some respects, is far more pleasant to travel in.

I can see IE requiring a serious 'refurbishment' programme of their railcars in the wake of the collapse - passengers numbers are going to fall because the bus is more comfortable.

musicfan

While I agree the bus service provided from Drogheda train station is working well with an average travelling time of about 45 mins to/from Connolly station, I still can't wait for the trains to be back in service!

Normally, I get a train direct to my destination, whereas now in the mornings I may have to wait up to 25 mins in Connolly station for a DART, depending if I just miss one.

I find it so difficult to read on a bus and I have yet been able to snooze on the bus - used to have a great few sleeps on the train so now I'm exhausted!

I also find the whole stopping and starting and breaking and reving of the engines on the bus is nauseating. Some of the buses on the service are disgusting and dirty and uncomfortable and smelly. Some of the drivers seem a bit crazy e.g if you're in a line of traffic and the car in front moves a couple of inches there is no reason to take off at speed and then slam on the brakes - when this happens continously throughout the journey, its extremely irritating. On top of that, there was a bus load of passengers involved in a crash on the M1 on Monday morning who are nervous when you slam on the breaks as you think you're going to crash again:(

Does anyone know how the work on the viaduct is going - is it looking like it will be opened by the end of November. Maybe Irish Rail could update their website to give people an idea of when their commuting nightmare is going to end:mad:

Heroditas

KC61 wrote: »

driver rosters have to be redesigned,

Bingo! No doubt the unions would have issues with this.

RATM

If you commute from Dundalk/Drogheda to the big smoke then Matthews private buses are the only game in town IMO. They have a service direct to the IFSC which uses the port tunnel thus making the journey even faster. Also a good few of their buses have WiFi on board which is really handy.

I gave up on the train service on this route years ago. What they really need is a third line so the commuter services can overtake the DART. I remember I used to use the Enterprise when it first started up. It did Drogheda to Connolly in a rapid 28 minutes. But then the Malahide DART extension went in and now AFAIK it takes nearly an hour.

Lister1

Buses have been great so far. A seat on the way home which was unheard of when getting the train and a journey time which is on a par if not better then the trains.

CIE will have a hard time selling the train back to people when it comes back online. Its farcical that there isnt an express service into Dublin prior to the 8:20 enterprise. If such a service was in place I think a lots of Droghedeans would avail of it relieving the strain on the passengers who get on further down the line and have to stand the whole way into the city.

RATM wrote: »

If you commute from Dundalk/Drogheda to the big smoke then Matthews private buses are the only game in town IMO. They have a service direct to the IFSC which uses the port tunnel thus making the journey even faster. Also a good few of their buses have WiFi on board which is really handy.

Whats the cost of Matthews busses? AFAIK you cant buy an annual/monthly tax saver ticket for a private bus service which would mean this isnt a runner for a lot of people.

amacachi

Lister1 wrote: »

Whats the cost of Matthews busses? AFAIK you cant buy an annual/monthly tax saver ticket for a private bus service which would mean this isnt a runner for a lot of people.

Yes you can.
Dundalk-Dublin is 1900 a year, Drogheda-Dublin is 1700 a year.
http://matthewscoach.com/matthews_website/dublink_xprs_dundalk_dublin.php

Being a student I'll probably get the train when it does get fixed up, cost will be around the same and the station is right next to college. Though I can't check the times til the viaduct is back up and running. :rolleyes:

rhapsody

musicfan wrote: »

I find it so difficult to read on a bus and I have yet been able to snooze on the bus - used to have a great few sleeps on the train so now I'm exhausted!

I also find the whole stopping and starting and breaking and reving of the engines on the bus is nauseating. Some of the buses on the service are disgusting and dirty and uncomfortable and smelly. Some of the drivers seem a bit crazy e.g if you're in a line of traffic and the car in front moves a couple of inches there is no reason to take off at speed and then slam on the brakes - when this happens continously throughout the journey, its extremely irritating. On top of that, there was a bus load of passengers involved in a crash on the M1 on Monday morning who are nervous when you slam on the breaks as you think you're going to crash again:(

Does anyone know how the work on the viaduct is going - is it looking like it will be opened by the end of November. Maybe Irish Rail could update their website to give people an idea of when their commuting nightmare is going to end:mad:

I agree indeed about the motion of the bus, and I think I've gotten stupider in the last month because I've lost over an hour of reading time each day Also can't sleep on bus, but can on train I know at the start the travel time on the coaches was great, but I'm finding myself sitting for longer every day on the M1 these days, morning and evening. Does any one know how the work is going?

Lister1- I think you can do a taxsaver thing on the Matthews coaches:

http://www.matthewscoach.com/matthews_website/dublink_xprs_grange_rath_dublin.php

Lister1

You can buy an annual ticket but it ain't a tax saver ticket.

http://www.taxsaver.ie/en/

With a taxsaver Commuter Ticket, you can save up to 51% on your bus or rail fare with tax and PRSI* savings. You must order your ticket through your company and your company must be registered with Dublin Bus or Irish Rail to offer the taxsaver Scheme to its employees. The savings are made as the cost of the ticket is deducted from your Gross salary and you do not pay tax or PRSI on the ticket cost.

I'm surprised it isn't available on private bus services as it does seem anti-competitive...

amacachi

Lister1 wrote: »

You can buy an annual ticket but it ain't a tax saver ticket.



I'm surprised it isn't available on private bus services as it does seem anti-competitive...

Well on the ads on the Matthews' Coaches it mentions saving 40-something percent with a tax-saver ticket.

Lister1

amacachi wrote: »

Well on the ads on the Matthews' Coaches it mentions saving 40-something percent with a tax-saver ticket.

Does it mention it on their website? I had a quick look but didnt see any mention of a tax saver option..

Bluetonic

Lister1 wrote: »

Does it mention it on their website? I had a quick look but didnt see any mention of a tax saver option..

The link provided earlier gives the information.

Lister1

See it now. Possibly the problem is that my company are only dealling with CIE/Bus Eireann. I must look into it....

westtip

DWCommuter wrote: »

What a learning curve this whole viaduct collapse has been. My son (who's in school in Dundalk) was a regular northern line commuter on Fridays and Sundays/Mondays. Since the collapse, he's discovered Matthews bus and will be sticking with it due to price and efficiency. Goodbye IE!! Hello M1!

Derek well put as has been said on other postings the new motorway network is the potential death knell of intercity passenger services, Dublin -Galway what future with Go bus ?- same for Dublin Limerick/Cork, for the tax incentive reasons mentioned above in other posts by various posters the commuter lines may well survive but for the kind of once a week at weekend journey you mention the uncompetitive pricing on weekend returns by IE will have to become a thing of the past or they will be dead in the water - Cheaper faster buses will take over.

KC61

Heroditas wrote: »

Bingo! No doubt the unions would have issues with this.

Well I was really referring to the fact that totally new rosters would have to be devised for trains and staff - and that really is not something that can be done overnight, regardless of unions.

shamwari

As an aside to the bridge issue, does anyone know when the roadworks at the M1 / M50 interchange are due to be completed? Once they are sorted, it should speed up the bus considerably.....assuming of course that they finish before the bridge is completed..:rolleyes:

amacachi

shamwari wrote: »

As an aside to the bridge issue, does anyone know when the roadworks at the M1 / M50 interchange are due to be completed? Once they are sorted, it should speed up the bus considerably.....assuming of course that they finish before the bridge is completed..:rolleyes:

Isn't construction just beginning tomorrow on a service area outside Balbriggan? Hopefully they'll have enough sense to keep the near-the-road stuff on the long finger, but I wouldn't count on it.

dcr22B

shamwari wrote: »

As an aside to the bridge issue, does anyone know when the roadworks at the M1 / M50 interchange are due to be completed? Once they are sorted, it should speed up the bus considerably.....assuming of course that they finish before the bridge is completed..:rolleyes:

Have read on another thread here that it could be the end of this month but I really don't think that is the main problem, I get the NRA traffic alerts texts and there seems to be a collision/breakdown on the M1 every single morning!

Kaylee

RATM wrote: »

If you commute from Dundalk/Drogheda to the big smoke then Matthews private buses are the only game in town IMO. They have a service direct to the IFSC which uses the port tunnel thus making the journey even faster. Also a good few of their buses have WiFi on board which is really handy.

I'm seriously considering it. My only problem is where do I park the car?

amacachi

If you're in Dundalk I think the Town SC has free parking with a max. stay I've never seen enforced.

Kaylee

Thanks for that amacachi but I'm from Drogheda.

shamwari

Yippee! Irish Railway News has just reported that the collapsed sections from the bridge have been replaced earlier today. Interesting to see just how long it will take to complete the repair work and reopen the line.

eldreamteam

Kaylee wrote: »

Thanks for that amacachi but I'm from Drogheda.

Matthews run several coaches from Grange Rath. there is loads of free parking in Southgate shopping centre

Kaylee

Ahh very interesting! Thanks for that eldreamteam!

dowlingm

If Noel Dempsey et al hadn't told the people of Meath so many porkies re Navan line timeframe, the Drogheda depot wouldn't be isolated from the rest of the network right now.

Captain Chaos

Kaylee wrote: »

(For instance I usually get the 4:19 from Tara to Drogheda and it stops in Raheny, Portmarnock and Malahide and all the main line stations - don't we have a Dart for these?)

What do you guys think?

The Commuter trains take the strain off the DARTs, ever since the Communter service has been cut back the loadings on the DARTs in the mornings and evenings are crazy again, its back to like it was with the 6car DART days. This is what I have noticed going between Howth Junction and Pearse. At that time there is a 25min gap between DARTs north bound which is crazy at this time in the City, without the Communter relief the DARTs could not cope.

That and the fact IE are running more 6 car DARTs now because of the recession, if they bothered to look, the 6 car DARTs can't cope in the morning and evening rush. Passenger numbers have not dropped that much at all on peak times. 8 car DARTs can just about manage.

And about DARTs slowing Commuter trains down, I agree. I have been on DARTs sent out ahead of Commuters but there must be a load of slack in the timings as the drivers just saunter along and don't push the train at all.