Fishguard-Rosslare and connecting trains to Dublin

[BRX]

I'm going to be making a trip over to Dublin, which I usually do via Holyhead, but I'm thinking of doing it via Fishguard/Rosslare for a change.

There appears to be a ferry that arrives in Rosslare at 1800, but it also appears to be the case that the last train to Dublin from Rosslare Europort leaves at 1755.

Is this really true? Have the train/ferry operators really managed to be stupid enough to arrange things so that the last train of the day to the capital manages to miss the only sailing from the UK, by 5 minutes?

 

[gordonthemoron]

You are correct, the ferry arrives 5 minutes after the last train departs, except on sunday when the last train departs 20 minutes before the ferry arrives

 

[Greenback]

There's always the bus!

Seriously, it used to be lovely to get off the ship and walk to the station which used to be in the terminal building at Rosslare. Now there is an extremely irrtiating walk around the car park to get to the new station, all, apparently to close a level crossing for the convenience of the lorries getting on and off the ships. It's a wonder anyone still travels this way unless they go by car.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Greenback is correct, buses run hourly (on the half hour) from Rosslare Harbour to Dublin (Busáras) until 21:30 with a final journey at 23:30. Journey time is about 3 hours

 

[142094]

Is this really true? Have the train/ferry operators really managed to be stupid enough to arrange things so that the last train of the day to the capital manages to miss the only sailing from the UK, by 5 minutes?

Think they have done the same think with Stranraer Belfast, except it's the trains on the mainland and not NI that are the problem.

 

[Csalem]

Irish Rail don't really see the trains to Rosslare as things to connect with boats, rather a place to terminate trains. I think ideally they'd love to terminate all trains in Wexford.

 

[gordonthemoron]

The last train from Wexford is at 19:30, so possibly you could get the 18:30 bus from Rosslare and catch the train in Wexford (it takes 30 mins)

 

[Greenback]

Aye, the bus stops right outisde Wexford station. CSalem, I think you are right - Irish Rail aren;t interested in Rosslare, I donp;t think anyone is interested in Fishguard rail either, fortunately it's protected under the franchise system! Whether that's the case under the next franchise I wouldn't like to say - maybe a bus will run from Carmarthen instead!

 

[BRX]

The last train from Wexford is at 19:30, so possibly you could get the 18:30 bus from Rosslare and catch the train in Wexford (it takes 30 mins)

Thanks for this: I may well look into that.

BTW what kind of trains run from Wexford-Dublin? Is it all multiple units these days?


Also - does the bus leave from near to the terminal? Is a half-hour connection doable?

 

[Drimnagh Road]

They've also moved the train station that was formerly attached onto the ferry terminal to a new location quite a considerable distance away. Oh, and replace the word station with platform as that's what the new place is.

The bus is handier, more frequent and doesn't take any longer than the train.

BRX, bus stops right outside terminal, hourly service. Bus stop in Wexford is at the station so a handy connection if you do decide to do the 19:30.

Services in the hands of the new 22000 class Intercity Railcars, probably the best DMU I've ever been on in terms of noise levels, all seats align with windows and a nice train to travel on in general.

 

[4SRKT]

IIRR Dublin services to/from Rosslare never connected up that well with the boats, even in CIE days. The evening boat had a train from Dublin that arrived at the then Rosslare Harbour Pier 15 minutes before it departed, something only a Man of Steel would regard as a connection! The railhead seemed more geared up for connections from the South and West of Ireland, with the daily train from Limerick connecting reasonably well (arrived about 90 minutes before the boat left), and with connections at Limerick Junction off trains from both Cork and Tralee. These connections were advertised in the BR Passenger Timetable as the way to get from Cork/Tralee/Limerick/Waterford to London. At least the old Pier station had a pub on the platform where the time could be killed!

The best rail connection from Dublin into that boat was (ridiculously) getting the mid-afternoon departure from Heuston to Waterford (left about 3 o'clock), and changing there. During the connection, the station cafe at Waterford did an all day breakfast which is the best I've ever had, bar none!
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The last train from Wexford is at 19:30, so possibly you could get the 18:30 bus from Rosslare and catch the train in Wexford (it takes 30 mins)

Last year there was a train from Limerick Junction to Rosslare that reversed there and continued to Wexford and Enniscorthy, which connected with the last northbound Dublin service. Still a crap way to get from Fishguard to Dublin by boat/train, but better than nothing. Has this now ceased?

 

[defitzi]

Think they have done the same think with Stranraer Belfast, except it's the trains on the mainland and not NI that are the problem.

Actually Scotrail's timings are streets ahead of Irish rail and they run very good services from what is after all, a pretty outlandish terminus-just as with Mallaig and Kyle of Lchalsh. Irish Rail p[olicy at Rosslare, on the other hand, like most of it operations, probably qualifies pretty high in the league tables of the world's worst railway services. Rosslare is a case in point- a huge squandering of (Government) cash, abandoning a perfectly good modern terminal platform only newly built in favour of trucks- wot a wat to run a railway. Course , Irish rail just don't want passengers down here-only in the Dublin commuter connurbation which stops way up the line-were it not for the presence of the ferry companies-Irish Ferries, LD-Celtic Lines and Stena, they'd have abandoned the railway down the hill to the harbour and with it, (the cross country link to Limerick) long ago. Irish rail, d'ye see, really do not want the tag "rail"- a new title could be Irish Dublin Commuter and Big City Connector!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Think they have done the same think with Stranraer Belfast, except it's the trains on the mainland and not NI that are the problem.

Actually Scotrail's timings are streets ahead of Irish rail and they run very good services from what is after all, a pretty outlandish terminus-just as with Mallaig and Kyle of Lchalsh. Irish Rail p[olicy at Rosslare, on the other hand, like most of it operations, probably qualifies pretty high in the league tables of the world's worst railway services. Rosslare is a case in point- a huge squandering of (Government) cash, abandoning a perfectly good modern terminal platform only newly built in favour of trucks- wot a wat to run a railway. Course , Irish rail just don't want passengers down here-only in the Dublin commuter connurbation which stops way up the line-were it not for the presence of the ferry companies-Irish Ferries, LD-Celtic Lines and Stena, they'd have abandoned the railway down the hill to the harbour and with it, (the cross country link to Limerick) long ago. Irish rail, d'ye see, really do not want the tag "rail"- a new title could be Irish Dublin Commuter and Big City Connector!