Irish Rail - Myth and Reality

[Del.Monte]

and below a recent view of a relatively ' uncrowded ' train on the Connolly/Rosslare route.

[Hairy-Joe]

I don't know what you are talking about. There's plenty of space on people's laps.....

[Del.Monte]

I don't know what you are talking about. There's plenty of space on people's laps.....

I did say ' relatively ' uncrowded and I'm sure that they may have been standing room in the toilets too. The photograph must have been taken south of Bray as north of there, in either direction, there's not even a lap to sit on.

[Cyclepath]

Does anyone know if the Dublin/Belfast Enterprise has improved. I may need to use it soon and I swore I never would after my last experience about 15 years ago. I booked first class seats for myself and my two youngest kids so that we'd be ensured a seat (yes I had loads of money back then).

Little did I know I'd have to defend those seats from other adult passengers who believed my kids should vacate seats for them. The notion that Irish Rail would oversell the first class compartment was mind blowing...

[Del.Monte]

I haven't been on the Enterprise for a couple of years now but it's streets ahead of Irish Rail's offering on the Dublin/Cork route - and they even have catering.

[95438756]

I booked first class seats for myself and my two youngest kids so that we'd be ensured a seat (yes I had loads of money back then).

Little did I know I'd have to defend those seats from other adult passengers who believed my kids should vacate seats for them. The notion that Irish Rail would oversell the first class compartment was mind blowing...

Had a very similar experience myself 17 years ago on Dublin to Galway Train, when this service had First Class:
I was travelling Solo, sat at a table with a "business man" opposite me who used all of the table space with his big windows laptop: Essentially he was using the whole table as his office. I was a detritus there.
On another occasion on first class on the 1800 hours Belfast to Dublin service, a Hen party occupied two thirds of the first class coach. Tough luck to the other first class passengers like myself.

[95438756]

I haven't been on the Enterprise for a couple of years now but it's streets ahead of Irish Rail's offering on the Dublin/Cork route - and they even have catering.

We have to wait until 2023 for the return of food service..
What Caterer will deal with Irish Rail?
Is doing food service inhouse too expensive?
...Might as well do away with First Class if catering is not available.

[Del.Monte]

Rail catering should never have been privatised as it was a good , if a very expensive, service when operated by CIE staff. However, the company have put everything out to tender that they can or got rid of it. At one time the company operated trains, buses, trams, canals, heavy road haulage, furniture removals (where they were the best in the business), hotels, coach tours, Shannon Cruises, and even the Aran Islands ferry!

All that's left today is a passenger rail service of patchy quality which is largely irrelevant to most people outside the Greater Dublin area, some City bus routes and express buses. Rail freight is almost gone with Tara mines, the company's biggest customer, on the final lap, a few timber trains and a single large container customer in Ballina who could disappear at the drop of a hat. That's it, turn the lights off on the way out.

[DeletedUser]

We have to wait until 2023 for the return of food service..
What Caterer will deal with Irish Rail?
Is doing food service inhouse too expensive?
...Might as well do away with First Class if catering is not available.

I fail to understand why there is an alcohol ban on trains.

Certain services yeah as it was pre-Covid like Westport and Galway, but the simple pleasure that was a pint in the Galway hooker and a couple of cans on a Friday night was a highlight.

[95438756]

re Alcohol:.

At best. Irish rail could follow northern rail.

The following passage exists on boards.ie - I've lost where:

Very drunk passenger assaulted staff on the train when they refused him further alcohol. The very drunk passenger got off lightly in the legal context after the event.

[Cyclepath]

Jesus wept I think I'll just drive up. One of the supposed advantages of rail travel is that you kick back and relax, hopefully with a beer etc. But the stresses of possibly having to stand, no catering, alcohol ban etc means it becomes no more than a very extended and painful commute.

[678904673]

I fail to understand why there is an alcohol ban on trains.

Certain services yeah as it was pre-Covid like Westport and Galway, but the simple pleasure that was a pint in the Galway hooker and a couple of cans on a Friday night was a highlight.

Many a nice pint I had in the Hooker. It use to do a decent carvery pre Covid. Not sure what its like now. Though never buy cans from the for the train. They ride you with the price

[Del.Monte]

Jesus wept I think I'll just drive up. One of the supposed advantages of rail travel is that you kick back and relax, hopefully with a beer etc. But the stresses of possibly having to stand, no catering, alcohol ban etc means it becomes no more than a very extended and painful commute.

Dublin/Belfast is still fine and much more relaxing than the drive.

As for catering - there's plenty of it available on the Enterprise trains: https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/travel-i ... ng#belfast