Luas to Finglas has gone to planning
congrats @Bisto & @binkybarnes
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Garry Gannon and the Soc Dems have shown that they cannot be trusted on public transport.
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Shame shame shame on the Soc Dems celebrating the delay of the E Spine.
Well said Councillor Tuite. The Social Democrats talk a big game but are utter spoofers.
https://twitter.com/lauren_tuite/status/1857362099648819491?s=46&t=hy6wc4bLZMiyfotc20UniQ
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they are against dart north too
Great news.
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Some legacy by Ryan
The GOAT
Damp leaves blamed as trains still run late
TIM O’BRIEN
The punctuality of trains into Dublin’s Connolly Station has continued to worsen since Irish Rail reversed its controversial timetable changes last month.
According to recent Irish Rail figures seen by The Irish Times, services on the northern commuter line to Drogheda were among the worst performing with just 68.8 per cent of trains now arriving at their destination within five minutes of the advertised time.
In the period between July 13th and August 11th, before Irish Rail initially introduced timetable changes, punctuality figures on the route were as high as 90.2 per cent. On the Maynooth and M3 Parkway lines, the chances of a train arriving at its destination within five minutes of the advertised time fell from 94.3 per cent between July 15th and August 11th to 76.8 per cent in the reporting period of October 7th to November 3rd.
Irish Rail introduced its new timetable in consultation with the National Transport Authority on August 25th. Following widespread public complaints, it made changes to Maynooth, Drogheda and some other routes into Connolly a few weeks later, on September 11th. From October 14th, the morning Connolly route services were restored to pre-August service patterns.
But complaints have continued to grow, and Irish Rail said punctuality problems were now the result of seasonal, “low rail adhesion”. This is a factor at this time of year when damp leaves affect adhesion of trains, forcing slower speeds.
‘Not wonderful’
Low rail adhesion is acknowledged as a factor in rail planning, particularly in damp climates. Irish Rail cuts back trees, sprays the rails and has sandboxes fixed to trains to grit the tracks in a bid to tackle the issue.
Barry Kenny, spokesman for Irish Rail, said this autumn had been particularly difficult in terms of low rail adhesion. He said the mild, damp start to November was “not wonderful” for efforts to tackle the problem.
But he said with the leaves now almost down, improvements to the scheduling on the routes in and out of Connolly would be noticeable over coming weeks.
Mark Gleeson of Rail Users Ireland said: “The punctuality of everything going through Connolly is not good.”
Further documents secured under the Freedom of Information Act show the company received more than 1,500 written complaints from customers after the August timetable changes. A total of 239 complaints referenced services to and from Drogheda. A number of commuters from Pearse Station said they had just eight minutes at Connolly to get from Platform 6 to platform 2. When the train coming from Pearse was late, commuters missed their connection, they said.
Morning commuters from Drogheda also expressed dismay, with one commenting: “This morning 26/08/2024 the train to Dublin 07:36am did not arrive. There was no announcement.” Commuters also complained of a lack of digital signage and crowded conditions.
Operations thread
Unless this about the 700 new carriages ordered?
They can’t run the lines they have and they are opening new ones. Leaves on the track in Autumn. Who could have predicted that?
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Shiny new toys won’t make much difference when the underlying infrastructure is over 100 years old
The investment in rail tracks and signaling in Dublin involves significant upgrades aimed at increasing capacity, safety, and efficiency while supporting sustainability goals. The following highlights key initiatives and costs:
- DART+ Programme Infrastructure:
Upgrades to tracks, signaling systems, and station facilities are integral to the DART+ expansion. These include reconfiguring city-center railway infrastructure to accommodate increased train frequency and capacity.
Specific works include doubling tracks on some routes and electrifying existing lines. These changes will improve reliability and enable more frequent services, such as a potential 20 trains per hour through certain key segments.
The overall DART+ project is estimated to cost €2.6 billion.
- City Centre Resignalling Project:
A €120 million investment was made in resignaling key areas like Howth Junction to Grand Canal Dock. This upgrade allows up to 20 trains per direction per hour, enhancing efficiency and reducing delays.
- National Train Control Centre:
A further €35 million is allocated to a state-of-the-art train control center in Dublin. This will integrate signaling systems and centralize operations to improve response times and network reliability.
These investments align with Project Ireland 2040 and aim to support Dublin’s growth, reduce carbon emissions, and improve public transport connectivity.
Spencer Dock will make a big difference. Connolly is not fit for purpose.
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What’s needed is another river crossing. Possibly at the Point.
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Red Line will be extended to Poolbeg.
Another rail crossing? Definitely
I assume you watched this @Little_Lord_Fauntleroy? Great to have Ireland featured within the elite Public Transport YouTube community, hopefully RM Transit is next.
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Geoff is amazing