Irish Railways Now

Happy New from Irish Rail!

2012-01-02T06:24:00.001-08:00

From the Examiner 2/1/2012

Despite hating the Luas BXD Line I love trams!

2011-11-10T05:09:00.000-08:00

Click on the pic to enlarge.

Luas Green Line revisited.

2011-06-07T05:24:00.000-07:00

CAFE WITH A VIEW

Click on pics to enlarge.

I had occasion to visit Hamleys in the Dundrum Town Centre yesterday (6/6/11) and, of course, used it as an opportunity to travel the full length of the Green Line. I still savour the journey into the Twilight Zone that is the Sandyford/Brides Glen extension. Sadly on this occasion it was just a little too bright and 'ghostly' experience of passing through the unopened stops at Racecourse and Brennanstown was not as impressive as on my previous visit.

One of my pet projects is the elimination of graffiti on the DART and Luas systems, and while the former is a major problem I'm glad to see that the RPA/Veolia are managing to keep the lid on things. Some of the nameboards at stops are getting tatty and could do with replacing, the lift shaft at Ranelagh has been attacked - again - by graffiti artists but in general things are in good shape. It really is a pity that something cannot be done to prevent the village idiots who persist in scraping their initials etc on the many glass partitions on the system with coins or keys.

On a positive note I called into the recently revamped station building on the Southbound platform at Dundrum - "The Dundrum Station House Cafe/Newsagents" and I happy to say that it ticks all the boxes. Fast, friendly service in superb surroundings - station buffets were never like this and there can be few cafes with a more superb view. Here too, the village idiots had turned their attention to the fresh paintwork on the station building - I have contacted all those concerned this morning.

Wicklow Junction Signal Cabin

2011-05-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

The former signal cabin at Wicklow Junction which controlled access to the Wicklow (Murrough branch) has been gutted by fire. A holiday home for many years it was still a landmark on the Rosslare line and its passing will be mourned by diehard enthusiasts.

Graffiti correspondence with Irish Rail from April 2005!

2011-05-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

The first page is an extract from my letter of 6th April 2005 to Dick Fearn - CEO Iarnrod Eireann and the bottom two are from his reply of 18th April 2005. Today (4th May, 2011) the graffiti situation remains much the same, if not worse, and the approaches to the stations at Monkstown and Dun Laoghaire are an absolute disgrace with tons of scrap signalling material, off-cuts of rails,old concrete, ballast etc. dumped everywhere.

Click on the pics to enlarge.

Sunday Tribune - September 19th 1982

2011-04-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Shock, horror - the Cork to Dublin rail service is not acceptable!

2011-02-15T09:50:00.000-08:00

Cork to Dublin rail service ‘not acceptable’

By Seán McCárthaigh, The Examiner
Monday, February 14, 2011

THE new high-powered state body overseeing public transport services has raised concerns with Iarnród Éireann over the quality of service and fare structure on Dublin-Cork rail services, warning that people will desert rail for their car.

The National Transport Authority has sought answers from Iarnród Éireann about an alleged deterioration in its first class service following complaints raised by one of its own board members who described it as "appalling".

NTA director Berna Grist said her experience of the company’s first class facilities on Dublin-Cork trains compared very unfavourably with those offered on the Dublin-Belfast route, despite paying €40 over the standard fare for the journey.

"Put simply — to call the service ‘first class’ is deception. None of the extras given on the Belfast train were offered," said Dr Grist, who is a barrister and senior lecturer at UCD’s School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy.

She pointed out that no newspapers, complimentary glass of water or juice, or waiter service in the restaurant car were available, while there was also no heating in the first class carriage due to an electrical fault.

In a personal letter of complaint to Iarnród Éireann, Dr Grist described the standard of food service as "appalling" regardless of whether people had paid first class or standard fares.

Dr Grist said the premium service on the Dublin-Cork had been much better two years ago and claimed the recent deterioration in the service was "completely unacceptable".

She also pointed out that many people were now deciding to travel between Dublin and Cork by car because of improved journey times resulting from the completion of the motorway between the two cities.

The NTA director predicted that other dissatisfied Iarnród Éireann customers would "vote with their feet and will desert Irish Rail for the comfort and convenience of their cars".

Iarnród Éireann replied that she was not entitled to a refund of her first class supplement as the train service on which she travelled was advertised as only having a trolley service. However, it provided her with vouchers worth €20 because of the discomfort she experienced.

In a letter to Iarnród Éireann, NTA chief executive officer Gerry Murphy said Dr Grist’s complaint "raised a broader strategic issue of the charging for a first class service and what that first class service delivers".

"In terms of customer satisfaction there needs to be a commensurate reward for paying a supplemental charge and also the communications around the service need to be clear."

In reply, Iarnród Éireann’s chief executive Richard Fearn said first class carriages provided passengers with wider seats and seat spacings that provided "greater privacy and a generally calmer travelling environment".

Mr Fearn confirmed that Iarnród Éireann charged a higher first class supplement of €34 over the standard €20 supplement on five daily services between Dublin and Cork on which an "at-seat full breakfast or evening meal service" was available.

He confirmed that Iarnród Éireann was happy to refund the cost of the supplement to anyone who had a bad experience of the company’s first class service.

"When customers contact us with regard to the first class service, if they do feel that for good reason the service fell short of their expectations, we have no hesitation in refunding the relevant first class supplement," said Mr Fearn.

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, February 14, 2011

My NTA submission on the Rosslare/Waterford railway

2010-07-30T01:49:00.000-07:00

Mr. Gerry Murphy,
CEO,
National Transport Authority,
Irish Life Centre,
Middle Abbey Street,
Dublin.1.

29th July, 2010

Submission concerning the retention of the Rosslare/Waterford rail line

Background

When considering the future of the Waterford/Rosslare line it needs to be considered as an integral part of the through route from Rosslare to Limerick Junction and beyond, rather than an isolated branchline as Irish Rail try to portray it. Currently the section of this route between Waterford and Rosslare has what, at best, can be described as a token service operating on it and since the latest timetable came into force on the 29th November, 2009 it has become virtually useless as a transport link. The trains no longer connect with other services at Waterford or Rosslare Strand, and they operate at times that suit IE staff rosters rather than passenger requirements. It is possible to travel from Enniscorthy and Wexford to Waterford but not return the same day or, indeed, any other day – possibly a quite unique situation anywhere in Western Europe but I leave myself open to correction.

The single, two carriage ‘Commuter’ railcar which services the line arrives in Waterford from Rosslare at 08.20, arguably just in time for workers to reach their places of employment and students their places of education. However, given the remote location of the station this probably involves a mad dash to get in on time. The solitary return working is at the ridiculously early time of 17.20 – at the height of the rush hour and before many people finish work –purely to facilitate IE train crews being able to return to Waterford on the last Bus Eireann service from Rosslare! You couldn’t make it up – it’s like something from the Will Hay “Oh Mr.Porter” movie.

The morning service from Rosslare arrives at Waterford at 08.20 and passengers from South Wexford stations have to 2 hours and 40 minutes to wait for an onward connection to Kilkenny/Carlow and, ultimately, Dublin; passengers heading west to Limerick Junction and beyond have to endure an incredible 4 hours and 10 minutes wait for their onward connection at 12.30! As anyone who has had the misfortune to spend time in Waterford station will know this is not a pleasant experience. Facilities have dwindled to almost nil. First the “Comeragh Bar” closed, then the buffet was privatized and then closed to be replaced by a museum now also closed. Even the small station newsagents shop is also closed most of the time. The Fastrack parcels office is closed as is the left luggage facility, surprisingly, despite this the number of staff at the station seems to have remained constant over the years.

The evening service to Rosslare at 17.20 scampers away from Waterford 13 minutes before the arrival of the 15.10 train from Dublin (Heuston) which arrives at 17.33. Despite its eager departure it no longer manages to connect with the Dublin train at Rosslare Strand which it did in an extremely ill advertised manner for decades (a chalk board at the departure gate in Waterford) and thus another connection with Dublin is removed.
Since the Nov.2009 timetable passengers from Enniscorthy and Wexford are unable to return to their loved ones – ever – and when I wrote to the CEO of IE about this point he was strangely silent! Incidentally, the 06.25 train from Enniscorthy serving Wexford and connecting with the train to Waterford at Rosslare Strand which nominally runs Monday/Friday has been officially replaced by a bus Tuesday/Friday. This follows months of on again off again engineering work on the Dublin/Rosslare line which seems to affect night time empty railcar movements.
It hardly needs saying that since its introduction, the 06.25 has received zero publicity from IE and consequently very little patronage. The cynic might think that its introduction was purely an IE conspiracy to increase losses on the route and thereby help justify closure.

Some possible solutions

A basic minimum service of three to four trains each way daily (incl.Sundays) – with connections – is needed and could be provided at minimum cost mainly by using the existing rolling stock and staff. Apparently the actual running cost is €1.9 million per annum, of which 55% is down to fixed staff costs. A significant service level increase would be offset in full by increased revenue as much of the cost base is fixed. The Sunday service for the whole route – Rosslare/Limerick Junction is essential to cater for the heavy weekend traffic of workers/students returning home after the week away working/studying. All other inter-city routes offer this facility and thus it is hardly surprising that a route not offering Sunday services sees increasing losses.

Consideration should be given to the running of one through train from Waterford to Dublin via the South Wexford railway and a return working. While it might seem a slower alternative to the route via Kilkenny, especially with the low speed limit (40 mph) currently in place between Waterford and Rosslare Strand, it would open up a whole new market and by my calculation it would be a faster alternative for anybody living in Bray and all points southwards wishing to reach Waterford. In the longer term the 40 mph speed limit needs to be raised through track renewal and automation of level crossings.

The reinstatement of the short (4km) Rosslare Strand avoiding line which only operated from 1906/11 should also be considered – some estimates put this at €6/7 million based on the cost of the Lavistown direct curve outside Kilkenny. The affect on journey times would be considerable when combined with track improvements on the South Wexford route.

Some sort of Free bus transfer system (cost to be built into the ticket price) from Waterford station to the Waterford Institute of Technology, the Regional Hospital and City Centre needs to be considered.

The line needs heavy promotion locally, and abroad as a gateway route from the UK/France to the West and South West of Ireland. The promotion of the South Wexford line as part of a circular tourist route from Dublin – out via Heuston and back via the South Wexford route to Connolly – should also be undertaken but, of course, impossible with the timetable as it presently exists.

The station at Waterford needs some serious rethinking and the involvement of the private sector. The passenger facilities need to be brought up to the same standard as found in most major terminals (Cork/Limerick/Dublin etc). The marketing and timetabling needs to be taken out of CIE/IE hands and into some local partnership with IE contracted to run the trains and maintain the permanent way. It is not because of the current threat to the line that this action is needed but CIE/IE have operated a 40 year long campaign of deliberate neglect of the route as part of its ‘radial’ railway policy i.e. that all routes must radiate from Dublin and all non-radial routes must be closed.

In the longer term the ‘Commuter’ railcars need to be replaced by the more comfortable inter-city 22000 class railcars – especially for through services.

Bus Eireann and Irish Rail tickets should be interchangeable thereby allowing return journeys not now possible due to the lack of suitable services. This already happens in the DART and Luas area where tickets are routinely accepted by Dublin Bus when there is a breakdown service.

I will close this brief plea for common sense by asking the NTA to thwart CIE’s decades long run-down of this important gateway rail link. I am sorry for the truncated nature of this submission but I have too much going on at the moment to devote the time to preparing a more comprehensive submission.

Waterford/Rosslare - some common sense at last!

2010-07-22T04:13:00.000-07:00

From the Waterford-Today.ie website some 'outside the box' thinking but is anybody listening?

Despite earlier news to the contrary, it can now be confirmed that the Rosslare/Waterford rail line will not close this week. Iarnrod Eireann have to submit their case to the National Transport Authority (NTA) and this body has to study this, as well as the several other submissions justifying why the line should remain open. A decision cannot be reached before late September.

Last week the Chambers of Commerce in the south east made a submission advocating the setting up of a community rail partnership as has been done successfully in the UK and mainland Europe in places where a rail line is running through lightly populated areas. If this model is accepted, it would see Iarnrod Eireann continuing to have responsibility for running the trains, as well as for all maintenance and safety issues. However, such matters as time tabling, marketing and promotion of the services would be the responsibility of the partnership which, in addition to Iarnrod Eireann, would comprise the local authorities, representatives of local rail users and the business community through the Chambers of Commerce. A locally based marketing manager would report to a voluntary committee representing the various stakeholders.

Eric Barron, Chairman of South East Chambers, had this to say about their proposal: "We expect that this will receive very serious consideration by the NTA, the Minister and Iarnrod Eireann and we hope that it will be accepted. It is working in the UK – why not here? This community involvement would ensure that the train service meets the needs of the community, that it would be well publicised and consequently well supported."

A comprehensive survey undertaken by the local body that is fighting to save the train line shows that, with a proper service of three/four trains daily, with connections to Wexford town in all cases and with good marketing, annual income could be built up to €2.5m. which should justify keeping the line running. Current income from the one-train-a-day service is in the region of €40,000.

If the proposal is accepted, this community rail partnership model could well be used for the Waterford/Limerick Junction line that serves Carrick on Suir, Clonmel, Cahir and Tipperary town. This is a line that currently has light usage. The model could also be used to ensure the success of the rail lines that are about to be reopened along the western rail corridor.

Enniscorthy Guardian, 07 Jul 2010. Pages 34 - 35

2010-07-07T06:05:00.001-07:00

Enniscorthy Guardian
07 Jul 2010

Fine Gael policy (?) on Waterford/Rosslare rail closure

2010-06-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

When I pursued FG Transport Supremo, Fergus O'Dowd, for the definitive FG position on the closure of the Waterford/Rosslare railway this was the best that he could manage - received today - more than three months after I contacted him. Quite why some ancient piece by an FG senator (whom I had never heard of) should represent FG policy on the Waterford/Rosslare line is beyond me. That's another vote lost for Paul Kehoe.

MONDAY 15 Mar 10

Rumoured closure of Limerick Junction rail line makes nonsense of transport policy and massive Western Rail corridor investment – Coffey Commenting on reports that Iarnród Éireann is planning to close Waterford's rail links both with Rosslare and Limerick Junction, Fine Gael Senator Paudie Coffey deplored transport planning by press leak and criticised the plans as making no sense in an overall transport strategy.

Commenting on reports that Iarnród Éireann is planning to close Waterford's rail links both with Rosslare and Limerick Junction, Fine Gael Senator Paudie Coffey deplored transport planning by press leak and criticised the plans as making no sense in an overall transport strategy. "RTÉ news reported on Friday that Iarnród Éireann was planning to close its Waterford-Rosslare rail line. That's bad news in itself. However there is worse reported in the Sunday Tribune (Sunday 14th March) which claims Iarnród Éireann has been in secret talks with Noel Dempsey's Transport Ministry to scrap the Waterford-Clonmel-Limerick Junction line as well. "Iarnród Éireann says it only recoups two percent of the cost of the Rosslare line in fares but seeing as they hardly run any trains, this is not surprising. There is a train from Rosslare at seven in the morning, and one back from Waterford at five twenty in the evening. The morning train isn't convenient for County Wexford shoppers coming into the city and the evening one isn't ideal for commuters. "If you compare the way the Suir Valley Railway runs successful tourist services through the summer, it's obvious there is scope for developing daytime trains through Wellington Bridge to Rosslare. And that's without taking account of the environmental argument for shifting freight by rail to Rosslare Europort. “I'm astonished by talk of closing the line to Limerick Junction. The Government is about to complete the first phase of the costly Western Rail Corridor, which will reopen the link between Limerick and Galway. This has involved re-laying track between Ennis and Athenry. The cost was estimated at €74m but Iarnród Éireann admits it will be €106m, and that's without buying rolling stock – track but no trains. "The first trains on the Western Rail Corridor should run in the next few weeks. What a time to talk about closing the Munster Rail Corridor. In fact, these are not two separate issues. The Western Rail Corridor was recommended by an Expert Working Group set up by the Government in 2005, which produced the McCann Report which argued that 'substantial rail freight could be carried southwards on the Western Rail Corridor all the way to Waterford’. McCann said this was important 'because Waterford is the only port with direct rail access on its quays; containers can be lifted directly from the freight cars onto the vessel’. This reduces handling costs and makes rail freight competitive with moving bulk goods by road. "The McCann Report added 'another benefit from carrying rail freight southwards on the Western Rail Corridor to Waterford is that it will free up rail capacity in the Dublin area especially at Connolly Station'. So the Limerick Junction-Waterford rail link is fundamental to the Western Rail Corridor strategy, on which the taxpayer has just spent €106m."This is not just a local issue for Waterford. It is about our ability as a country to produce an integrated transport plan. The Government's 'Transport 21' plan was obviously a gimmick. Closing two rail lines out of Waterford will make it a farce. Rail transport is too important for hole-in-the-corner talks between Iarnród Éireann and civil servants, which we only find out about through kite-flying in a Sunday paper."

Clonmel Nationalist 10th June 2010

2010-06-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

Chambers refute allegation that decision taken to close rail line

From the Clonmel Nationalist: 10 June 2010

By Freelance

The South East Chambers of Commerce are furious that Iarnrod Eireann are apparently regarding the closure of the Rosslare/Waterford line as if it was an irrevocable fact. The Chambers see this as being very far from reality and have requested a meeting with the CEO of Iarnrod Eireann to discuss the matter fully.
As the Chambers see it, the National Transport Authority (NTA) was established by Government at the end of 2009 precisely to regulate transport decisions and anything that Iarnrod Eireann wishes to do is strictly subject to approval by the NTA. Furthermore, the combined Regional Authorities in the South East and in the Mid-West (who are the representative organisations of all the various local authorities through whose jurisdictions the line runs) are so concerned about this proposal that they have commissioned an expert to investigate the viability of the route from Rosslare to Limerick Junction and the NTA should not take any decision on this matter until this report has been completed and fully considered.

While Iarnrod Eireann have acknowledged the requirement for NTA approval, their actions - such as their publication of a bus timetable that is intended to replace the Rosslare/Waterford train - demonstrates, in the eyes of South East Chambers, Iarnrod Eireann's disregard for the NTA, for the stance taken by the local authorities, for the clearly expressed viewpoint of SE Chambers and especially for the views of the passengers who use the train. To quote Chairman of SE Chambers Eric Barron, "Iarnrod Eireann attempted a pre-emptive strike by buying space in the media to publish the supposed replacement bus service ahead of the outcome of the study being conducted by the regional bodies and ahead of a decision by the NTA. If they had spent this kind of money occasionally in publicising what little service they have been providing along the line, they might have got more passengers. It is quite clear that their sole interest is in closing yet another line, instead of managing it properly and making it pay. Too many rail lines were closed in the past and the taxpayer is now financing their refurbishment and reopening at enormous expense. We cannot allow the same mistake to be repeated in this instance."

The stance taken by SE Chambers is that this line is a valuable national asset and that Iarnrod Eireann should be instructed to use the asset properly by providing three round trips daily and manage their affairs in a businesslike and innovative way which involves promoting the services. "We want the line managed a bit like Michael O'Leary manages Ryan Air," says Eric Barron.

New Ross Standard, 02 Jun 2010. Pages 18 - 19

2010-06-05T00:53:00.001-07:00

New Ross Standard
02 Jun 2010

The Gathering Storm in the South East

2010-05-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

Open letter to Iarnrod Eireann from South East Chambers of Commerce
http://www.southeastchambers.ie/page22.html

The Irish people (through the government) entrusted the railway system to you to manage on our behalf. Implicit in this trust was the expectation that you would organise and manage this highly valuable part of our national infrastructure in an efficient, professional and effective manner to transport passengers and goods all over Ireland. This obviously means having a rail network reaching out as far as possible all over the land.

You have failed us in many respects.. You closed down railway lines with great enthusiasm during the middle of the last century, including the beloved Waterford/Tramore line which was actually showing a profit and the callous closure of which the local people are unforgiving. It was part of our life.

The Rosslare/Waterford line is also part of our life but is of even greater magnitude because of its strategic importance as part of the national rail network connecting all parts to the Europort at Rosslare.. Is this to suffer a similar fate? If so, shame on you. Instead of exploiting the asset entrusted to you, you ran it down and practically ignored it. One train each way on weekdays only is not a proper service and even this paltry service was never promoted. We have one of your ads dated twelve years ago dealing with the rail services in County Wexford and it refers only to the Rosslare/Dublin line with never a mention of the Waterford route. The ignoring of this line goes back that far and way beyond.

Then in 2002 you decided you wanted to shut down the Waterford/Limerick Junction line and effectively leaving the large town of Clonmel and all South Tipperary without a railway connection. This was vetoed by government (when Seamus Brennan, RIP was Minister for Transport) and you were rightly sent packing and told to get on with running a rail service to connect the south east with Cork, Limerick, now Galway and many other places. You seem to be doing this with severe reluctance, again with no promotion and no Sunday or public holiday services whatsoever. The inevitable consequences of this lack of enthusiasm are that this part of the line is also lightly used and you have recently cut back the schedule from four round trips on weekdays to three (25% reduction). Is this another part of your covert plans for further closures?

This whole approach makes absolute nonsense at a time when such great strides are being made to modernise the railroad with vast amounts (of taxpayers money) being invested in reopening lines around Dublin, Cork and in the west – lines that you abandoned years ago. Indeed, one of the justifications for reopening the Western Rail Corridor was to connect the north west with the south east, with Rosslare Harbour a particular target as it is the closest port to the European mainland and therefore the main access point by sea to Europe. Trains can only run where there are tracks and there is no sense in opening up tracks in one direction while closing them in another. It is a national system.

We totally reject your proposal to substitute busses. This is not acceptable. Road transport is subject to traffic delays and is therefore less reliable. Rail is the preferred mode of public transport. Look at the great success of the DART and LUAS and you will see how properly managed rail transport attracts a greater volume of passengers than busses. The substitute bus service now proposed requires very little investment which could mean very little by way of commitment and the proposed service could also be contracted after a period. Wear and tear on the roads from a HGV like a bus is immense while the rail lines would be lying idle. Environmentally, the proposals also fly in the face of Ireland’s commitment to the Kyoto protocol to reduce carbon emissions. Greater use of rail should be the objective if we are to go anyway near our objectives as regards reducing carbon emissions. Rail is quite simply more green friendly.

What do we want? Let us explain.
We obviously want an end to this reckless foolishness. Instead, we want you to consult with the public and regional stakeholders (something you have never done in any meaningful way) and design a service with a minimum of three round trips every day. This service will have to connect with the ferries where we are informed there is a growth in foot passengers and also with inter-city trains, e.g. at Waterford. It will have to cater for the needs of the people of south Wexford who traditionally commute to Waterford. It should link the hub town of Wexford (pop. 20,000) with the gateway city of Waterford. It should also link closely with the Waterford/Limerick Junction portion of the line that serves Clonmel, the rest of South Tipperary and from Limerck Junction many other towns and cities.

The infrastructure needs to be upgraded to allow for quicker trains and shorter journeys, so as to compete successfully with road transport.

Management of the undertaking needs to be given to a qualified talented person based in the south east.. Management from an ivory tower in Dublin has not worked. What is needed is an effective person who is empowered to develop and sustain the business and ideally we would see this person being recruited from outside the company.

Promotion of the line would involve creativity, e.g. the Rosslare Strand station is 100 yards from the wonderful beach and seaside specials could be run to bring passengers from South Tipperary to the sea for the day, while shopping trains, and theatre trains are just some other initiatives that proper management would undertake. There is no management of this nature at present.

We are serious about this and we will be shortly placing our case before the National Transport Authority and the Minister. We have consulted with the various local authorities and they also are opposed to your reprehensible proposed action.

Needless to say, we would be very happy to meet you to discuss productive ways of making full usage of this very valuable piece of infrastructure. The Chamber of Commerce movement represent the business community of the South East and we are adamant that this vital asset is not just saved from closure but is put to optimum use.

South East Chambers Access Task Force
South East Chambers
(info@southeastchambers.ie)

24 May 2010

Councillors’ wrath can’t prevent rail line closure (Enniscorthy Guardian, 19 May 2010, Page 33)

2010-05-20T14:03:00.001-07:00

Councillors’ wrath can’t prevent rail line closure
David MEDCALF
Enniscorthy Guardian
19 May 2010

IARNRÓD ÉIREANN executives put themselves in the firing line to take the full scorn and outrage of Wexford county councillors last week. But there was no sign of the rail company changing its imminent intention to shut down the Rosslare to Waterford...read more...

MORE RAIL CLOSURES - The battle is joined!

2010-03-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

More nonsense from Irish Rail/Dept of Transport and the awful Coalition Government.

CIE/IE have recently stated their intention to close the following rail lines: Waterford/Rosslare, Waterford/Limerick Junction and Limerick/Ballybrophy. Manulla Junction/Ballina would also have been on the list save for the nuisance of the freight traffic from Dublin and Waterford ports.

CIE/IE have been deliberately running these routes into the ground for the past forty years and have sought their closure many times during that period. A completely useless timetable prevails on all three routes listed for closure - bad/non-existent connections, poor facilities on the basic 'commuter' trains and equally poor facilitities at the terminals at Rosslare and Waterford. None of the lines are properly marketed and NO attempt is made to generate new traffic. I will be posting a lot more on this subject but for now I am including a link to the http://www.boards.ie/ discussion forum about the closures here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055851547

also a link to the Facebook Group started to save the Waterford/Rosslare route here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=info&ref=nf&gid=367387502018
the Facebook link contains a petition to Minister Noel Dempsey to retain the line.

Waterford - Rosslare on the brink - again!

2010-03-12T11:36:00.000-08:00

The down 06.25 am Enniscorthy/Rosslare Harbour departs from Rosslare Strand on the 2nd March 2009.
I was the only passenger from Enniscorthy or Wexford - hardly surprising since there was zero marketing of the service since its introduction - and as of last November I should think that it runs empty as it is no longer possible to return from Waterford. Good old CIE/IE competing for the emigrant market!
Despite the lengthy journey time (just under 2 hours) the Enniscorthy/Waterford service provided the only means of travelling from Wexford or Enniscorthy to Waterford in time for school/college/work by bus or rail!

Now comes the news that, once again, CIE/IE are proposing to close the Waterford/Rosslare line. A line that has been reduced to skeletal service of one train in each direction, no marketing, no facilities, lengthy journey time and yet a hardcore of people continue to use the service - how annoying for CIE/IE!

The usual hand wringing from local politicians and media is quite sickening with the lack of serious investigative reporting by the latter particularly appalling. I really think CIE are finally going to get away with this long wished for closure this time. Makes sense when you consider the €100 million plus being spent on the Western Rail Corridor reopening at the far end of the Rosslare/Waterford/Limerick route.

CIE's continued retreat from rural Ireland?

2010-01-06T08:39:00.000-08:00

The accompanying photographs of recent 'improvements' at Tralee station beggar belief- I really don't know what to say except perhaps why stop there? Why not make Mallow the railhead for Tralee or, better still, Heuston?

Apologies for not crediting 219RiverTolka who originally posted the above photos on the Irish Railway News website.

GREYSTONES SCUTTLE 25

2009-08-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

Lest we forget, Greystones once had its own shuttle service to Bray, introduced in 1984 to coincide with the advent of the DART. Those of us who used it will have reason to remember it for all the wrong reasons! This article from the North Wicklow News freesheet of 17/1/1985 captures well the spirit of the enterprise - only CIE could have had the bare faced cheek to inflict such a service on the travelling public and you tell young people today and they don't believe you!

Click on the images for a larger picture - sorry for the poor quality.

‘The more things change, the more they remain the same’

2009-08-13T03:51:00.000-07:00

Ocean FM news report 12/8/09

Iarnród Éireann apologies for passenger ‘discomfort’

Iarnród Éireann has apologised to passengers this afternoon over reported problems with overcrowding on the 9am Sligo to Dublin service this morning.
Maintenance problems yesterday led to the today’s train having only three carriages instead of the usual six.
Some passengers contacted Ocean FM News today saying they feared for their safety.
Barry Kenny of Iarnród Éireann says passengers were not put at risk but it is a situation that won’t arise again.

Another Cracker from my archives!

2009-07-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist posting this piece from the Evening Herald of 6th October, 1980. Although it concerns a very serious and tragic matter - the Buttevant rail crash in which 18 people lost their lives - the piece is more than that as it captures perfectly the spirit of CIE then and now! See what you think and comment - please!

Incidentally in keeping with the Herald's high journalistic standards Glandore (!) has been inadvertently used instead of Glanmire as the trains destination - now that really would have been a smash.

* Click on the image for a big picture.

Ground Hog Day at CIE

2009-07-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, rail closures are back on the agenda again at CIE - there's a surprise then! After weeks of clever media manipulation the Limerick Junction/Rosslare Harbour line is top of the list for closure along with Limerick/Ballybrophy and Manulla Junction/Ballina. Courtesy of An Bord Snip Nua and Noel Dempsey, CIE/IE will doubtless feel mandated to close at least one of these lines - probably the first mentioned. CIE have pursued a relentless campaign to close the Limerick Junction/Rosslare route since the late 1960s with serious attempts in 1977 and 1983, and back in 1983 those far seeing pen pushers at Heuston and Kildare Street even wanted to close the Cork/Cobh line!!

Once again the logic in spending €100 million plus on the Western Rail Corridor and then proposing that similar 'lightly' used lines be closed is quite mind boggling! I wonder does Colm McCarthy and his Bord even know where the affected lines are or did he just make a call to the Dept.of Transport or John Lynch at Heuston and ask for their choices?

The fact that CIE/IE cannot make a go of these lines, or indeed any other, does not mean that nobody else can. I am blue in the face from saying it but CIE is 30 years past its sell by date and why should it not be got rid of? Nothing else is sacred, Aer Lingus, Telecom Eireann, the Irish Sugar Company, so what is it that CIE know that nobody else knows? They seem impregnable to everything and march on regardless, a byeword for woeful industrial relations, staff bullying and a contempt for the rail user that beggars belief! Your comments please.

Now you see it, now you don't!

2009-05-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

I am glad to report that the graffiti at Beechwood, referred to in my last post, had been removed on the occasion of my latest visit on the 27th May. Was it due to my complaint? Well since I have had no replies to my emails to the RPA, Veolia or Mortons I don't know, but I do know that I am not letting this issue go. More 'long term' defacement of the station building at Ranelagh needs attention and I will be raising it with the powers that be and, when time allows, I will be sending a full report on both Luas lines to all concerned. We really must make sure this iconic transport system does not end up an unsightly mess like the DART!

Luas - the Crumbling Edge of Quality?

2009-04-08T04:57:00.000-07:00

Since the Luas came on stream I have been keeping a very close watch on the maintenance of the trams, lineside structures, station buildings etc . In general the battle against the village idiots is being won - unlike on the DART where CIE/IE have thrown in the towel. However, on a recent visit to Beechwood Stop (Green Line) I noted that some unsightly graffiti, present the last time I was there, had still to be removed - see photo. I have since contacted Veolia and the RPA and I am waiting to hear from them. I believe, based on my own experience and generally accepted 'best practice', that it is essential that graffiti be removed as soon as it appears and certainly within 24 hours. If this policy is not strictly enforced you end up with a mess like the entire DART line has become - some advertisement it is for Ireland for the many visitors to Ireland who travel the line every year. Graffiti is the thin end of the wedge when it comes to vandalism and leads on to other anti-social activities such as public order offences, attacks on trains by stone throwers etc. etc...Let's not have the Luas become another no-go area! I will keep you posted on this one.

Railway Catering in the Rare Oul Times.

2009-03-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

In the days before Nationalisation railway catering was very different to that now on offer. The Great Northern Railway, the Midland, Great Western Railway, and the Great Southern & Western Railway ran a chain of top-class hotels - some of which still operate ( The Park Hotel, Kenmare; the Parknasilla Great Southern etc.) - as well as on train catering and a large number of quality station buffets. The menu shown here from the Great Northern Railway says it all - you won't find any MaxPak coffee or curly sandwiches here! While a return to those halcyon days is unlikely the current situation is unacceptable. I shall return to this subject at greater length when I get my thoughts together.

Irish Railway Catering - A long standing joke!

2009-03-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

Way back in 1977 when my interest in Irish railways was in its infancy I came across an interesting snippet in the Guardian newspaper - reproduced here - concerning breakfast on British Rail costing more than at the famous 5-star Claridge's Hotel in London. This was when the Irish pound was still linked to sterling and as you will see from the CIE breakfast menu from the same year - also reproduced here - their identical breakfast was also more expensive than the aforementioned hotel! Ten years later (April 1987) I was involved in running a railtour to Yorkshire and vividly remember having a full breakfast at a cafe near Manchester (Victoria Stn.) for 50 pence - I kid you not! The only common factor that I can see is that both BR and CIE were/are two direly run state organisations. Comments please.

Catering as an incentive to travel.

2009-03-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

Recent postings on the Rail Users Ireland message board triggered me off on another of my pet hates - CIE's rail catering or the lack of it. As long as I have using trains - just over four decades - this has been a disaster. Sky high prices, poor quality food, badly motivated staff (remember all the sackings amongst catering crews caught fiddling the books in the 1980s) and now the dire outsourcing to Rail Gourmet. For as long as I can remember passengers have resorted to bringing their own food with them which is surely an indictment of the service provided. CIE/Irish Rail have never seen the marketing possibilities of offering rail travel with cheap/cost price meals. Better still a rail ticket with your meal thrown in FREE - see the Norfolk Line advertisment here. Of course Norfolk line is not in receipt of gigantic subsidies from the Irish taxpayer! Instead CIE/IE resorted to charging fewer and fewer passengers more and more for the meals on offer. Now the limited number of trains still offering full meal services no longer have proper distinctive dining cars - the rot set in here when the awful 'MacDonalds' type seating was removed from the MkIII dining cars and replaced with seating identical to the rest of the carriages. If they get away with it full dining facilities, even for 1st class passengers, will soon dispensed with to be replaced with the overpriced trolley service. This service will also be discontinued eventually - as night follows day! I will return to this subject shortly but for now I would welcome comments.

New order for railcars should be stopped!

2009-03-05T04:41:00.000-08:00

In a time of economic crisis, the like of which none of us have ever seen, the ordering of a further 51 railcar units from Japan/Korea is an absolute scandal when there is a fleet of perfectly serviceable MkIII carriages lying around the rail network awaiting sale to UK train operators. Of course what can one expect from an inept fool like Noel Dempsey who is presiding over the ridiculous Transport 21 'plan' and a company like CIE where spending is totally out of control? If press reports are to be believed, an incredible €140 million is to be spent on these additional railcars when for a tiny fraction of this figure the withdrawn MkIIIs could be refurbished at Inchicore Works - providing employment for Irish workers instead of South Korean/Japanese ones. So much for being patriotic and spending at home.

What's wrong with these carriages?

2009-03-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

On one of my rare escapes from DG I travelled to Waterford via the Twilight Zone (a.k.a. the South Wexford line) yesterday. A full description of my journey would not be of interest save to say it was too early to be up and about but there is only the 06.25 train! The ATVM at the station offered me one fare, the depotman another but I wisely opted for the travelling checker - by far the cheapest option - may be I should also have gone online. What a shambles!

Waterford station is a cold, inhospitable place, long gone is the buffet - bad and all as it was - also gone the Commeragh Bar which used to provide a bit of comfort. Now even the almost always closed shop is all that's left, along with the ubiquitous vending machines. The station itself is half demolished or rebuilt depending on your point of view and I believe a slimmed down version of IE's grandiose office development is now underway. How this will benefit rail travellers is questionable but at least the burgeoning IE clerical staff will be comfortable.

Dumped on two sidings at Waterford are two rakes of Mark III carriages - one somewhat insensitively beside the station platforms to remind passengers of what they are missing! Quite why these carriages, which have seen just 22 years of service, have been withdrawn is a mystery to me. The Mark II carriages were 36 years old before withdrawal and indeed a rake now operate with the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland. The Cravens carriages gave close to 44 years service and could have gone on and on and on......these were the steam heated coaches that you either loved or hated! Why could Mark III carriages not have been introduced on the Connolly/Sligo and Connolly/Rosslare services instead of the hated 'Commuter' railcars? Please feel free to post here if you have a rational explanation. It cannot be that the Mark III's are life expired as they are being bought up for use by UK train operating companies for use over there.

I'm back!

2009-02-27T02:06:00.000-08:00

I haven't gone away you know! Following repeatedly being banned from the Irish Railway News (IRN) message boards, being bored to tears by the Rail Users Ireland boards and trying to whip up some life on Boards.ie I have decided to branch out on my own. Here you can expect to find my opinions on matters railway, photos and links to other worthwhile sites.