Travelling in Ireland

[Steddenm]

This week I am travelling around Ireland and Northern Ireland and have some things I've spotted I'd like to share.

The Enterprise between Belfast and Dublin is currently a mix of Mk4 Enterprise stock and NIR CAF units, the latter seem to be early at each stop en route.

Translink have a new logo which is a T in a lozenge shape, but still green. Lanyon Place station looks good on the outside, the inside is still a bit messy and nowhere open for coffee, food, newspapers etc.

The DART in and around Dublin is carting fresh air around outside of the morning and evening peaks, but the fares are cheaper than they were when using a Leap card.

The Luas is running more regular than previously, but there is a lot of antisocial behavior on board, with Luas security on most services.

On the lines into/out of Dublin I've noticed the mileposts are in miles, yet the speeds etc are in km/h. Is this a legacy thing?

Irish Rail don't allow split ticketing (in fact they state it is illegal to do so), yet when I bought a ticket to Tralee, the online journey planner gave me the split tickets for the same train as the Web Fare was cheaper than a through fare.

Commuter services are quiet also during the day and I'm not sure if they are back to full service yet as M3 Parkway services are restricted.

A lot of lifts are out of order on the DART network.

On the Luas they are advertising MetroLink all over (www.metrolink.ie) and the adverts state they are currently applying for a Railway Order to run services. In fact, at St Stephen's Green, the Luas announces to change here for "local buses, city centre shopping and MetroLink". I've only heard it on the MetroLink-advert covered tram (inside, not out).

Finally, is it me, or is Dublin a lot rougher than it was pre-lockdown?

 

[Taunton]

Just in passing, what was your experience of Covid requirements travelling between NI and the ROI? It sounds like things are still a lot more shut down than in London.

 

[hexagon789]

On the lines into/out of Dublin I've noticed the mileposts are in miles, yet the speeds etc are in km/h. Is this a legacy thing?

The DART uses km/h, but all mainline trains use mph.

 

[D6130]

The DART uses km/h, but all mainline trains use mph.

True....but the working timetable for non-DART services shows permanent speed restrictions in both mph and km/h - likewise the Weekly Circular for temporary speed restrictions. Last time I managed to get hold of an NIR working timetable appendix - admittedly several years ago - everything was still only shown in mph.

 

[hexagon789]

True....but the working timetable for non-DART services shows permanent speed restrictions in both mph and km/h - likewise the Weekly Circular for temporary speed restrictions. Last time I managed to get hold of an NIR working timetable appendix - admittedly several years ago - everything was still only shown in mph.

Unless anything has changed, outside if the DART signs are mph only though.

And the physical speeds adhered to are mph.

Dual km/h/mph in the WTT has been a feature of Irish Rail WTT's since at least the early 1970s, possibly earlier.

 

[duesselmartin]

I dont see LUAS as rapid transit. It is to be honest a slowish tram.
Dublin, im my view, has with its suburbs are rather poor rail system to get you north to south and east to west. Other European cities of a million people or so are much better.
Compare it with Cologne. Dart style S-Bahn and a combination of Tram/Metro type system.
Martin

 

[D6130]

Unless anything has changed, outside if the DART signs are mph only though.

And the physical speeds adhered to are mph.

Dual km/h/mph in the WTT has been a feature of Irish Rail WTT's since at least the early 1970s, possibly earlier.

Correct on all three counts. I was just pointing out the various anomalies in the system.

 

[Steddenm]

Just in passing, what was your experience of Covid requirements travelling between NI and the ROI? It sounds like things are still a lot more shut down than in London.

Travelling between NI and ROI was quite seamless to be fair. They only asked for a Vaccine Cert and Passenger Locator Form on arrival at Connolly by Gardaí. Bars are asking for a Vaccine Cert to get in.

Social distancing is still a thing though and face masks are compulsory everywhere.

 

[hexagon789]

Correct on all three counts. I was just pointing out the various anomalies in the system.

Apologies, I thought you were trying to say they were using km/h.

 

[Steddenm]

Am currently on a Mallow - Tralee service and because IÉ have suspended seat reservations, the train is packed solid. There is no social distancing on board at all. Everybody is complaining. Plus, the heating seems to be on full whack.

On a side note... here is the new Translink logo...

 

[duesselmartin]

The new translink logo looks as it could be for anything.

 

[Thewanderer]

A few points.

Enterprise is not MKIV stock, it is De-Dietrich. Enterprise service is a mix of DD, 5ICR (22000) and C3K stock at the moment for various reasons.

All PSR/TSR boards are in mph, not kph. The railway uses MPH.

There is no social distancing on public transport anymore, face masks are required and capacity is at 100%.

Seat res or not it still be the same! On a side note allocated seats is back in force from Monday.

Hope you enjoyed your trip on 22044 on the Tralee line.

 

[danm14]

They only asked for a Vaccine Cert and Passenger Locator Form on arrival at Connolly by Gardaí.

That's interesting.

There are no restrictions whatsoever on travel from Northern Ireland to the Republic - no vaccination, no forms (except for people who have been off the island in the past 14 days).

Were Gardaí asking for this from everyone, even those who don't require it; and were they sanctioning those who neither had it nor needed it? Or were they asking people if they'd been abroad first?

 

[Steddenm]

That's interesting.

There are no restrictions whatsoever on travel from Northern Ireland to the Republic - no vaccination, no forms (except for people who have been off the island in the past 14 days).

Were Gardaí asking for this from everyone, even those who don't require it; and were they sanctioning those who neither had it nor needed it? Or were they asking people if they'd been abroad first?

They didn't even look at it properly. I could've just showed a library card.

 

[jamesontheroad]

The new translink logo looks as it could be for anything.

True, but the old looked like it could have been for anything circa 1995.

 

[berneyarms]

This week I am travelling around Ireland and Northern Ireland and have some things I've spotted I'd like to share.

The Enterprise between Belfast and Dublin is currently a mix of Mk4 Enterprise stock and NIR CAF units, the latter seem to be early at each stop en route.

Translink have a new logo which is a T in a lozenge shape, but still green. Lanyon Place station looks good on the outside, the inside is still a bit messy and nowhere open for coffee, food, newspapers etc.

The DART in and around Dublin is carting fresh air around outside of the morning and evening peaks, but the fares are cheaper than they were when using a Leap card.

The Luas is running more regular than previously, but there is a lot of antisocial behavior on board, with Luas security on most services.

On the lines into/out of Dublin I've noticed the mileposts are in miles, yet the speeds etc are in km/h. Is this a legacy thing?

Irish Rail don't allow split ticketing (in fact they state it is illegal to do so), yet when I bought a ticket to Tralee, the online journey planner gave me the split tickets for the same train as the Web Fare was cheaper than a through fare.

Commuter services are quiet also during the day and I'm not sure if they are back to full service yet as M3 Parkway services are restricted.

A lot of lifts are out of order on the DART network.

On the Luas they are advertising MetroLink all over (www.metrolink.ie) and the adverts state they are currently applying for a Railway Order to run services. In fact, at St Stephen's Green, the Luas announces to change here for "local buses, city centre shopping and MetroLink". I've only heard it on the MetroLink-advert covered tram (inside, not out).

Finally, is it me, or is Dublin a lot rougher than it was pre-lockdown?

A few points:
- Ireland has yet to fully reopen post-Covid - this is scheduled for October 22nd, from which date, everyone will be encouraged to return to their workplaces, so it's not particularly surprising that loadings at times are quieter. That's going to be a slow recovery process as society reopens and more people return to offices.

- LEAP Card offers cheaper travel across all public transport modes in Dublin and Cork with daily/weekly capping in Dublin, and also offers cheaper travel on city buses in Limerick, Galway and Waterford, and on Bus Éireann/Go Ahead regional bus services across the country. It can also be used on Expressway services but with no discount.

- LUAS frequencies did not change during Covid so I don't know how you conclude it is any more frequent now. While there can be some anti-social behaviour on the Red Line alright, it's not as widespread as you suggest. I've not seen any issues on the Green Line when I've used it.

- By "Dublin" I assume you mean Dublin City Centre when commenting on it being rougher? It really isn't any rougher than it was pre-lockdown. The same social issues were there then too. The difference is that there are vastly fewer office workers in the city centre, as they continue to work from home, and that means that the social issues tend to be far more obvious than before.

 

[XAM2175]

True, but the old looked like it could have been for anything circa 1995.

My exact feeling too

 

[yorkie]

Just a gentle reminder for any speculative posts to be posted in the Speculative Ideas section please.

I have moved a post which was speculative in nature (along with any posts that referred to it) into the following thread: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/how-to-solve-transport-issues-in-dublin.223250/

 

[the sniper]

True, but the old looked like it could have been for anything circa 1995.

Well said!