Irish Rail MK3 Coaches - North Wall Update

corktina

quote from one of those links

With the train stabled at night in a quiet siding or station, a good night's sleep is guaranteed.

Grandeeod

corktina wrote: »

quote from one of those links

With the train stabled at night in a quiet siding or station, a good night's sleep is guaranteed.

Lots of them in Ireland.:D

corktina

the return of Mk3s and loco haulage on a regular basis... rejoice. Let's hope it's a big sucess

Grandeeod

corktina wrote: »

(What happens to the Cravens now I wonder? too little too late?)

I guess the Belmond gig certainly means the end of the Emerald Isle express. With Belmonds marketing strength, they can promote the Grand Hibernian worldwide.

I wonder did Rail Tours Ireland get wind of this last year and try to get ahead of the game?

flyingsnail

Grandeeod wrote: »

I guess the Belmond gig certainly means the end of the Emerald Isle express. With Belmonds marketing strength, they can promote the Grand Hibernian worldwide.

I wonder did Rail Tours Ireland get wind of this last year and try to get ahead of the game?

I wouldnt be so sure, they may be operating in the same market but I think they might be looking at different clients. The Emerial Isle is 3.5k for 8 days. Looking at their scotish sleeper for that I could get 3 days where as the 8 day tour would be 6990 sterling (or 8930 depending on the trip).

(I am just guessing since they don't have any Irish prices listed)

end of the road

corktina wrote: »

where's the logic there? Drogheda and Portlaoise are far better placed to service the fleet and land there is cheaper than Dublin.

they are way out of the way, at least portlaoise is . land being cheeper is all well and good but when its causing more inefficientsy then we have a problem

corktina

flyingsnail wrote: »

I wouldnt be so sure, they may be operating in the same market but I think they might be looking at different clients. The Emerial Isle is 3.5k for 8 days. Looking at their scotish sleeper for that I could get 3 days where as the 8 day tour would be 6990 sterling (or 8930 depending on the trip).

(I am just guessing since they don't have any Irish prices listed)

The Emerald Isle is grossly overpriced and using stock that will be totally outclassed by a Royal Scotsman type operation, not to mention the promotion ability of them

end of the road

corktina wrote: »

Why so? makes no sense to have to keep moving stock through the tunnel with all the capacity problems that raises.

it makes more sense then running units empty to portlaoise at least. droghida is a bit better with a new facility in the dublin area to deal with everything (i wonder will we get new EMUS for DU and a new facility to look after them?) if so then they may as well build it to take care of everything. shorter empty running, and economies of scale comes to mind.

flyingsnail

corktina wrote: »

The Emerald Isle is grossly underpriced and using stock that will be totally outclassed by a Royal Scotsman type operation, not to mention the promotion ability of them

Thats what I mean, they are different offerings at different price points in the market, the start of one doesn't necessarily mean the end of the other.

Judgement Day

It's possible for the 'ordinary' punter to get in on the action too! Belmond shares are openly traded http://markets.ft.com/research/Markets/Tearsheets/Summary?s=BEL:NYQ and while they don't currently pay a dividend they may be other benefits and they are cheap at the moment - and falling.

corktina

flyingsnail wrote: »

Thats what I mean, they are different offerings at different price points in the market, the start of one doesn't necessarily mean the end of the other.

the Emerald Isle had barely started, was undersubscribed and was planned to run just once a year. Hardly likely to produce a return on the assets employed imo.

Judgement Day

Jim Deegan is one smart cookie and don't be surprised if he ends up owning Belmond or at the very least CEO of its Irish operations.

LXFlyer

corktina wrote: »

the Emerald Isle had barely started, was undersubscribed and was planned to run just once a year. Hardly likely to produce a return on the assets employed imo.

I would not be that negative about it - as another poster says they're different products.

The "assets" are all owned by someone else, the RPSI, so it's not the same situation.

Neither you nor I know how many people they needed to break even, you're just making a very big assumption that it was "undersubscribed" and therefore not making a profit.

Why is it that every time someone announces/does something positive on Irish Railways that we end up with a lot of negative comments (and I am making that as a general comment rather than aiming at anyone in particular)? Some positive thinking would not go amiss at all.

I certainly see room for both operators.

corktina

undersubscribed means empty seats and there certainly were those.

A once a year tour doesn't need much room admittedly but then are the prospective passengers going to wait for a specific week (and they chose the Autumn rather than the summer this year!) or will they find a choice of dates with the new set up more attractive?

(I suggest you see my post 184 if you think I'm negative!)

corktina

Maybe a Mod could strip this discussion off to a thread of it's own?

LXFlyer

corktina wrote: »

undersubscribed means empty seats and there certainly were those.

A once a year tour doesn't need much room admittedly but then are the prospective passengers going to wait for a specific week (and they chose the Autumn rather than the summer this year!) or will they find a choice of dates with the new set up more attractive?

(I suggest you see my post 184 if you think I'm negative!)

Well I think we should wait and see - it's rather early to be making judgements of that magnitude.

flyingsnail

It was successful enough that they are already advertising next years tour.

http://www.railtoursireland.com/train-tour/Emerald-Island-Express/st2014/
Ignore the date in the URL the correct date is on the site

GM228

lxflyer wrote: »

I would not be that negative about it - as another poster says they're different products.

The "assets" are all owned by someone else, the RPSI, so it's not the same situation.

Neither you nor I know how many people they needed to break even, you're just making a very big assumption that it was "undersubscribed" and therefore not making a profit.

Why is it that every time someone announces/does something positive on Irish Railways that we end up with a lot of negative comments (and I am making that as a general comment rather than aiming at anyone in particular)? Some positive thinking would not go amiss at all.

I certainly see room for both operators.

Well I say fairplay to Belmond and Railtours, best of luck to both companies-may they have many years of success and gives us plenty of trains to spot!

GM228

corktina

flyingsnail wrote: »

It was successful enough that they are already advertising next years tour.

http://www.railtoursireland.com/train-tour/Emerald-Island-Express/st2014/
Ignore the date in the URL the correct date is on the site

That was advertised before it even ran

AlekSmart

corktina wrote: »

quote from one of those links

With the train stabled at night in a quiet siding or station, a good night's sleep is guaranteed.

Ah c'mon now why did you tippex Broombridge out......it even has a ring to it...The Broombridge Belmont....snappy and easy to remember ?

AlekSmart

GM228 wrote: »

Well I say fairplay to Belmond and Railtours, best of luck to both companies-may they have many years of success and gives us plenty of trains to spot!

GM228

Absolutely ! Just look at the stunningly presented counytryside and railway which Micheal Portillo described to a VERY big UK TV audience.

Well done whomever got this deal together,and here's to it's success !

Judgement Day

I suspect that it wasn't as the result of CIE/IE actively promoting the idea.

Salmon Leap

Judgement Day wrote: »

I suspect that it wasn't as the result of CIE/IE actively promoting the idea.

Wonder will they be allowed across the South Wexford line..... Without bus transfers..... ;-)

ClovenHoof

Salmon Leap wrote: »

Wonder will they be allowed across the South Wexford line..... Without bus transfers..... ;-)

the company makes a point of trains using little traveled lines.

Wouldn't it be something if this saved Limerick to Rosslare.

corktina

Salmon Leap wrote: »

Wonder will they be allowed across the South Wexford line..... Without bus transfers..... ;-)

They wont need bus transfers, they aren't using hotels. They'll just stop for the night somewhere and continue on the next day

Judgement Day

corktina wrote: »

They wont need bus transfers, they aren't using hotels. They'll just stop for the night somewhere and continue on the next day

Yes, but they will hardly want to retrace their route from Wexford to Dublin. This is the problem when you reduce the network to little more than a skeleton with some bones missing. The missing section of the WRC from Athenry to Claremorris is another case in point. I wonder have IE informed Belmond of their intention to close the Waterford/Limerick Junction and Limerick/Ballybrophy lines?

corktina

Why not? gorgeous scenery like that is worth seeing twice. Stop somewhere different each afternoon....sounds OK to me

Captain Chaos

By the time the Mk3s are ready for this I fear there won't be much of a network left to see.

corktina

al the main lines will still be there and probably most of the others too

Grandeeod

ClovenHoof wrote: »

the company makes a point of trains using little traveled lines.

Wouldn't it be something if this saved Limerick to Rosslare.

Its interesting alright. As things stand that run down the east coast and across to Waterford and say Kerry is a very tourist driven run. But the South Wexford route is an issue. Poor oul Michael Palin tried it on a Sunday and was out of luck.:D The Emerald isle gig got around it with a bus transfer, but Belmond would surely look to have a run across it for the sake of continuity. At least maintain the bloody thing and pass it for passenger traffic. IMO the Emerald isle gig got a bus substitution in order to avoid controversy.