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IRISH RAIL WILL be called before the Oireachtas Transport Committee after its new timetable has resulted in increased travel times and significant delays around Dublin and inter-county services.
A new rail timetable was launched on 26 August in preparation for the expansion of inter-county services in the coming months but resulted in a large number of services being delayed and carriages being overcrowded.
Earlier this month the service altered the new timetable slightly, to no avail. For the first time in decades, train punctuality dropped below to 80% in recent weeks.
After being appointed Chair of the Transport Committee earlier today, Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell has confirmed to The Journal that he will be “making it a priority” that representatives from Iarnróid Éireann address the politicians soon.
He previously wrote to the committee asking that Irish Rail be called after the Dublin Fingal TD, who is a commuter himself, heard similar complaints raised by rail users in recent weeks.
The root cause of these delays is due to congestion, according to Farrell, after many Dublin North Rail Line services, that previously terminated at Pearse Station, are now completing their journeys at Connolly Station in the city centre.
Farrell said: “There are a lot of trains now terminating in Connolly, which is resulting in a lot of passengers waiting around, which is resulting in a lot of trains being delayed due to the volume of passengers wanting to get on board [other services].
“That said, none of the trains along the Northern Commuter Line or the Maynooth Line are able to stay on schedule because of the congestion at Connolly.”
Irish Rail has previously apologised for the delays to customers’ travel times and acknowledged that the vast amount of issues with punctuality was as a result of congestion near and around Connolly Station in Dublin.
Compounding these delays, Iarnróid Éireann services were also impacted by a number of technical and fault issues in recent weeks.
Farrell told The Journal: “I accept that as a fact – and the board did inform me yesterday that there had been an improvement last week to punctuality – but the bottom line is that a lot of people that have been extremely inconvenienced by the changes to the timetable and the revisions.
“They’re still extremely frustrated on a daily basis that this issue has arisen in the first place, and the purpose of having [Irish Rail before the Committee] is to discuss how to improve their punctuality.”
Irish Rail management are aware of Farrell’s previous letter and will be making an effort to appear before the committee when called.
Any proposed changes or alterations to the existing timetable will be organised and completed by the National Transport Authority.
Fianna Fáil Senator Lorraine Clifford Lee previously highlighted how the new timetables have had significant impacts commuters along the Northern Commuter rail line in Dublin, serving Rush & Lusk, Balbriggan and Skerries.
Following a public consultation by the Senator, one email detailed “constant” delays, increased travel times and impacts on commuters that need to travel into the city centre during the weekends.
The email from the commuter, seen by The Journal, said: “Everyday since the new timetable there has been a delay on either end of my commute. This had made me late for work multiple times, even though I plan ahead with the timetable provided.”
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Hall in the transport minister while you’re at it !!! he’s probably expecting the impossible and pushing them to make a great transport system out of what we’ve got without proper investment
What was the actual point in changing the timetable of the Rosslare Connolly by 3 minutes? It hasn’t solved the overcrowding in the morning. . It has no perceivable benefit.
@helen mary fitzsimons: presumably the intention was to sync with timetable changes for other services
@Pewpew Tin: oh look, Buster and his mates have another account. My ma sadly passed away a long time ago. Take your trolling elsewhere
@Kevin Kerr: Yeah we know Brendan. Hence the Ouija board jokes. Do you understand them now?
@Vince Cable: at least he knew his ma
Eammo is getting it sorted no need to panic.
“congestion”… a similar theme on the roads really, plenty of people looking to kick the society on, boost the economy, be sustainable, etc. Unfortunately there’s zero provision for it, politicians are incapable of doing their jobs, where’s the transport minister through all our infrastructure problems? he’s literally doing nothing (as is the path, the previous ones were as bad if not worse).
Extend a few out to Dunlaoghaire – don’t they have an extra platform out there to lay over for short period
Bring the NTA before the Committee.
Kevin Kerr has a poster of the Menendez Brothers on his bedroom wall.
I commuted to Dublin from Dundalk in the 1980’s. The train was always full to capacity with many passengers left standing. Back then were promised an improved service with extra trains but it seems nothing has changed.
Will they be there on time?
The NTA need to be brought before the Committee.
Punctuality of trains & DART from the northside is still a sh**show, I have been delayed every day this week and last despite tying different times & options.
The ‘fixes’ applied two weeks back by Irish Rail have simply not worked – it’s time to scrap the new schedule and start again.
Just reading the case about the theft of the journalist’s phone & am glad to see that the alleged thug/thief is not out on bail. Could that pointless “judge” martin be gone the way of that other waste of time, o’donnell, in Limerick? Too good to be true?
@Patrice Ahern: Amazing how fast his name and address were published.
@087 bed: .
@087 bed: not really – the incident happened last April, and he is before the courts
@Patrice Ahern: Did you see the video they posted of him going through the phone? He won’t be getting out. And the journalist most likley lost his wife lol
@087 bed: You must be very slow if you think 5 months is fast (almost 6).
@Alex: Thanks for letting us know that 5 is close to 6.
@Vince Cable: You auto like your stup!d!ty it seems. It’s ok to be braindead, but you can do it elsewhere. If I recall correctly, your friend who stole the phone has trouble to count since he use is welfare money on alcohol and cigarettes and complains he has nothing left after 2 days.
@Alex: My friend? What?
@Alex: I think you are a bit confused love xx
Nothing functions in Ireland, Iarnroid Eireann & NTA have been a disaster, big salaries but delivering an absolute shit show. No accountability in Ireland at any level.
@SV3tN8M4: Irish Rail have done great work but the NTA and the minister push them to move too quickly on projects
The changes needed to be gradually brought in
Not all at once to crash the new system. As real time testing is the only kind that works.
I caught the train from Dundalk to Connolly station last Friday, which was supposed to go at 12:10 o’clock. It finally arrived at 12:50, forty minutes late, and even getting to Dublin took longer than usual.
They moved the schedule by 2-5 min here and there and now trains are 30-40 min late all the time, it also takes much longer to arrive to the destination because the train stands and waits on tracks every now and then
Waste of time! This will probably take additional time too
@uXGdMXx5: Whoa whoa whoa whoa. Get out of here now.
I blame Sinn Fein
At least Dublin and the east has a rail service. We in the west are grateful for an intermittent service that ends at 9pm and with crowded trains on the limerick Galway service where passengers resort to sitting in the aisle of the coaches. Donegal doesn’t even have a rail service but might eventually get one …. Via Derry / Translink.
Trains in Ireland are shambolic. Turn them all into cycle lanes or something more useful. Every time I take the Slug (sorry Dart) it reminds me that next time I should use a car
@Derick R M: thats the same mentality that got us into this mess .
You can feck right of with your green ways .
Time to start laying tracks round the country,public transport should cater for all not just a few round the capital
I guess those coming from the “posh” new Grand Central Station in Belfast are happy…..Lets accomodate that and impact all Northside commuters lifes instead!
A tough crew
They need to look at the 45a service, it’s a joke
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