Just two weeks into Irish Rail’s new timetable, which was supposed to signal the removal of “long-standing congestion issues particularly during peak periods”, the changes – at least in the Dublin area – have caused long delays and provoked commuter outrage.
Many commuters used to at least a workable service have suddenly found themselves on platforms from Malahide to Maynooth with the timetabled train missing. Trains that arrived at many stations along the route were late and were frequently already full. Trains that used to travel through Connolly Station and on to the southside were halted at Connolly.
The passenger representative group Rail Users Ireland said they had “not seen such repeated delays or such widespread passenger anger in many years”.
So what went wrong?
Three things were to blame. The first is the disruption to services to and from Connolly caused by the introduction of hourly services on the Belfast Enterprise route.
The second was the reduction of journey times on commuter routes in the new timetable, which was overly ambitious.
The third is the continual problem that three separate services – express trains, trains that stop at a limited number of stations and trains that stop at all stations – are all competing for track space on the northern suburban line to and from Connolly.
[ Irish Rail to amend new timetable following complaintsOpens in new window ]
This was manageable in the past, but provision in the new timetable for the move of the Dublin to Belfast Enterprise service from a two-hour frequency to a one-hour frequency caused disruption and congestion for commuter trains.
The new timetable allowed a shorter time period for commuter services from Drogheda, Malahide and Howth to get through the track space it shares with the Belfast Enterprise. This caused congestion at Connolly.
In addition, the Maynooth commuter services compete with the northern line services for access at Connolly station.
Obviously, not all of these northern and western services can avail of platform five, which is the platform that allows southbound services to continue on to Tara and Pearse stations and beyond.
Platform six, which is also a “through” route to and from the southside is generally reserved for northbound trains, especially at peak times.
Therefore, the majority of trains, including the Belfast Enterprise, Sligo and Longford services as well as Greater Dublin Area commuter services arriving at platforms one to four and platform seven, have to terminate at Connolly.
While it might seem obvious to push as many trains as possible on to Tara, Pearse and Grand Canal Dock, Irish Rail spokesman Barry Kenny says the signalling across the loop line bridge to Tara street is limited in what it can process.
On Wednesday, Irish Rail published extensive amendments to the new timetable. Most Maynooth to Dublin Connolly services have three to seven minutes added to journey times.
Mr Kenny says this will address the overly ambitious reduced journey times that were part of the new timetable. They will also make sharing track space more streamlined, he said.
The changes, published on the Irish Rail website, will come into effect on Monday next.
- Listen to our Inside Politics Podcast for the latest analysis and chat
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date