Iarnród Éireann, Ireland’s national rail operator, is set to reinstate a former timetable across multiple routes connected to Dublin’s Connolly Station following governmental and public complaints about delayed commuter routes. This revision will kick off on the 14th of October.
The rail company apologised profusely for the inconvenience suffered by customers when the new timetable was introduced on the 26th of August. The spokesperson of Iarnród Éireann attested to the company’s awareness of the hindrances that the recently implemented timetable had imposed on the daily travels and activities of their passengers since August.
The firm cited its inadequate handling of the increased services between Dublin and Belfast, and the overall capacity management in the city centre, as the reasons for the unexpected interruption in punctuality and travel durations. Iarnród Éireann expressed its apology for these complications.
The reinstatement of the prior timetable is expected to reset the morning service patterns, enhance punctuality, and reduce commute times. It will also enable improved frequency of services on several intercity routes, such as Dublin to Belfast.
The most notable modifications come Monday, 14th October, will be reflected in the morning schedules at Connolly Station until around 10 am. These adjustments will bear a resemblance to the pre-26th August timetable with minor alterations.
Trains formerly ending their routes at stations like Pearse, Grand Canal Dock and Bray will resume operations to and from these stops, thus eliminating the need to interchange during peak morning times at Connolly Station. The morning services through Phoenix Park Tunnel will begin operating to and from the Grand Canal Dock once more.
Several Belfast services will have amended times. This includes the 6 am and 7 am journeys from Belfast to Dublin, which will now arrive in Dublin at 8.23 am and 9.20 am respectively. The rail operator stated that these modifications should enhance punctuality for commuting services, and also close the morning service void on the northern commuter route.
Departure schedules from Drogheda, referencing Donabate timings, are currently set as follows: 6.48am (7.22am), 6.58am (7.32am), 7.09am (7.44am), 7.41am (8.16am). However, beginning Monday, 14th October, these times will change to: 6.55am (7.30am), 7.05am (7.39am), 7.19am (7.55am), 7.36am (8.13am). To deter overcrowding at Malahide, the proposed Dublin Connolly-to-Belfast service at 7.50am will now start at 7.40am. Several evening commuter routes originating from Pearse/Grand Canal Dock will now begin from Bray/Dún Laoghaire.
Minor adjustments will be made to Dart, Northern, Maynooth and Phoenix Park Tunnel commuter trains, including one Dublin-to-Rosslare train, to accommodate these changes. The increased frequencies on the Galway, Waterford and Belfast lines initiated on 26th August will continue, with no modifications to the weekend schedules.
Irish Rail’s spokesperson, Barry Kenny, confessed to the company’s error in recent changes to the Dublin-to-Belfast line services. He admitted on the Claire Byrne Show on RTÉ radio that they had let down people who coordinated their daily routines and responsibilities around their travel times with Irish Rail. He noted that the overambitious changes implemented on 14th September did enhance the evening schedules.
Mr. Kenny supported Irish Rail’s choice to send a team of 37 officials to a rail industry event in Berlin encompassing all facets of the industry, from infrastructure and fleet to investment and customer systems. “With the significant industry representation, and in particular, considering the stage of our projects, there was nowhere else suitable,” he explained. He emphasised that the attendees were mainly technical experts and project leads involved with the company’s capital investments rather than those responsible for the timetable coordination.
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