Signage at Connolly for DART

StonyIron

I don't use the DART very often but had to use it the other day for the first time in several years.

At Connolly station there is a mixture of DART and long distance commuter trains using the same platforms.

It was unnecessarily complicated to find which platform my DART was going to leave from.

The electronic displays don't say "DART to ....." And don't seem to distinguish between DART, Commuter and InterCity.

All it needs to display is "DART Southbound serving all stations to Bray."

Can't be that hard to programme but it would make it way, way easier to find your platform.

GM228

StonyIron wrote: »

I don't use the DART very often but had to use it the other day for the first time in several years.

At Connolly station there is a mixture of DART and long distance commuter trains using the same platforms.

It was unnecessarily complicated to find which platform my DART was going to leave from.

The electronic displays don't say "DART to ....." And don't seem to distinguish between DART, Commuter and InterCity.

All it needs to display is "DART Southbound serving all stations to Bray."

Can't be that hard to programme but it would make it way, way easier to find your platform.

The electronic displays do say the information you want, for example it could show Bray in 5 mins with "serving all stations to Bray" scrolling underneath!

Between the main concourse and the platforms there are 5 sets of displays all showing arrival times and destinations and the relevant platform!

There are also DART printed signs to the platforms.

GM228

StonyIron

I'm clearly just stupid then.
Ended up on the wrong platform.

Issue is that I wasn't looking for a train to Bray, I was looking for a south bound DART. I didn't know if all stations to Bray means a diesel train serving a few stations on the route.

If it pulled up in front of me I would know it was a DART but I ended up on the wrong plaform due to lack of info.

Doesn't happen me in much, much more complicated stations in bigger cities but, sure the customer is always wrong here.

In Brussels for example it will announce and display "IC train to ...." "regional service to ...."

It's a bit odd having different types of train sharing platforms with what is effectively a metro-like setup.

All they need is to scroll DART ahead of the message and it would be much clearer.

Also all the commuter trains are now being painted green which is even more confusing.

Some of us aren't as familiar with the system and many of us won't notice much more than the train colour and brand.

I'll get a taxi next time.

man98

A commuter train will be very clear on the trains it serves, if my mind serves they will mention about 5 stations.

StonyIron

Meh!

I'm just stupid then!

Apologies for pointing out any flaws with our utopian public transit network.

GM228

StonyIron wrote: »

I didn't know if all stations to Bray means a diesel train serving a few stations on the route.

All stations to Bray means all stations to Bray, not sure how anyone may think that may be a few stations-it really can't get any clearer then that!

Furthermore the main display in Connolly is specifically split into DART, Commuter and Intercity sections showing the next departures for each type of service, the stations called at and what platform they will be on!

GM228

StonyIron

I still didn't find it very clear at all. It's probably fine if you're a regular. It's not clear if you're not.

GM228

StonyIron wrote: »

I still didn't find it very clear at all. It's probably fine if you're a regular. It's not clear if you're not.

But it is very clear on the displays! The main boards specifically show and distinguish between DART, Commuter and Intercity, all the boards specifically show destination, platform and stations called at, just what your asking for in your saying is needed!

I hadn't been on a DART in about 25 years until a few months back so I definitely arn't a regular and I found them very clear.

They already show what your asking for!

GM228

cython

I'm usually quick to find fault with Irish Rail (I've eschewed a rail tax saver ticket in favour of cycling to and from work, such was my dissatisfaction), but in this instance, you were looking for a south bound DART - therefore there are only 3 options of platforms, 5-7. 4 is electrified, but trains can only head north from it. At the access to all three of these relevant platforms, there are signs showing the next services on all 3 platforms displaying the information already mentioned (e.g. all stations to Bray, or all stations to Howth, etc.). At the very worst, 2 mins spent looking at those signs should see you at the right platform. If you weren't familiar with the setup, and didn't have 2 mins to spare, then that is not really Irish Rail's fault, IMHO.

devnull

In this case the systems are not really at fault, however In general the informations screens are very basic compared to what you see in most other European countries and the UK and give very little information, the maintenance of them is abysmal as well with screens often broke for weeks at a time.

This is especially an issue when you consider the fact that you cannot trust the information displays on large amounts of the train themselves, which are often turned off completely or completely wrong. Irish Rail don't care about non functioning or wrong PIS systems on their trains or stations, but that is nothing new.

The time has come to rip the whole lot out and put a brand new modern system in, but considering they're just replacing the red displays with white ones which are exactly the same pretty much, makes me think this is a long way from happening.

Ideally on 6&7 they would have three screens portrait style showing every stop that a train calls at for the next train, with a screen in the middle showing the next 10 trains from all platforms, because one of the frustrating things if you are coming in on 6 or 7 is you have to walk all the way to Platform 4 to know what is going from the other platforms.

Something like this for 6 and 7 (But with 3 instead of 4)
http://static.progressivemediagroup.com/uploads/imagelibrary/nri/railway/clients/Infotec/barrline.JPG

The only good screens in Connolly are the ones just over the gates. That design should be used throughout the big stations.

sporty56

By the way, when you finally end up on the right DART, best not pay too much attention to the PA system. Boarded a southbound DART at Lansdowne on Thursday. Just settling into seat when PA says next stop Grand Canal Dock which to my relief turned out to be Sandymount on arrival. PA carried on in northbound mode with Pearse turning out to be Sydney Parade, Tara was Booterstown and so on. Glad I knew what Salthill looked like when I got there !!

StonyIron

I agree and I've heard that too on DART over the years.

There's little point in complaining though. I get the impression this forum isn't really customer focused and is more about the trains themselves.

I travel a lot around Europe and there are still some rather poor examples of signage and information on the Irish network. It's improved but they really need to walk someone through the system without any knowledge or familiarity and see how they get on.

devnull

sporty56 wrote: »

By the way, when you finally end up on the right DART, best not pay too much attention to the PA system. Boarded a southbound DART at Lansdowne on Thursday. Just settling into seat when PA says next stop Grand Canal Dock which to my relief turned out to be Sandymount on arrival. PA carried on in northbound mode with Pearse turning out to be Sydney Parade, Tara was Booterstown and so on. Glad I knew what Salthill looked like when I got there !!

The Japanese sets have a terrible Passenger Information System which is either turned off or doesn't work properly vastly more often than it actually works correctly. The 29000 trains system is often turned off or not working properly also. The only decent PIS system is on the original DART's. It's very rare that it goes wrong and the displays are of a much better quality as well and rarely fail.

There's one 86xx set going which on every service it's been on from Malahide, always says "This train does not stop between Howth Junction Donaghmede and Conolly Station." regardless of if it actually does.

Sam Russell

I was at Malahide the other day and found it difficult to know which platform the next South-bound train was going from as there was a Dart on the opposite platform but the display could not be seen from what would be the normal south-bound platform.

As it turned out, the first train from my platform was a diesel - next stop Connolly, and connected with a Dart starting from Connolly to Dun Lougharie when I arrived. None of this was apparent from the display. The Dart from the North-bound platform followed a few minutes later and arrived at Connolly about ten minutes later.

It would help if the display showed all trains and the platform they go from.

devnull

Malahide could easily be fixed with something like this in the station itself.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Passenger_information_display_on_the_main_building_at_Garforth_railway_station_(8th_November_2014).JPG

Generally Ireland leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to providing an adequate number of proper information displays with an adequate amount of details.