Minister confirms Irish Rail to implement timetable changes to address punctuality issues

Minister Joe O’Brien has confirmed that Irish Rail will implement timetable changes from Monday October 14 to address punctuality issues.

In early September, he called on Irish Rail to revert to the pre-August timetable due to the severe disruption the changes had caused for commuters in the area.

Minister O’Brien identified that the core issue of the disruption was the new Belfast-Dublin Enterprise service which he engaged with Irish Rail and the National Transport Authority about.

Due to the levels of disruption caused, Joe O’Brien TD intervened by writing to the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste to put more pressure on Irish Rail to revert to the pre-August timetable and to reprioritise Dublin commuters.

As a result of the actions above, Irish Rail have today confirmed that they are to implement a number of significant changes to its timetable from Monday 14th October.

Welcoming the news today, Joe O’Brien said:

“I am relieved to hear Irish Rail confirm that they will revert to the pre-August timetable. I have been calling for this from early September as I know how disruptive and stressful this has been for commuters and I have experienced this myself.

“Full details of changes will be available for customers on Monday 7th October at www.irishrail.ie and the Iarnród Éireann app (online details will be updated mid-morning On Monday 7th).

However, the most significant changes from Monday 14th October will be:

• Morning timetables on routes operating to/from Connolly Station (up to 09:30hrs to 10:00hrs approx) will revert to the pattern of the pre-26th August timetable, with minor time changes. This includes trains which previously terminated at Full details of changes will be available for customers on Monday 7th October at www.irishrail.ie and the Iarnród Éireann app (online details will be updated mid-morning On Monday 7th). However, the most significant changes from Monday 14th October will be:
• Morning timetables on routes operating to/from Connolly Station (up to 09:30hrs to 10:00hrs approx) will revert to the pattern of the pre-26th August timetable, with minor time changes. This includes trains which previously terminated at stations such as Pearse, Grand Canal Dock and Bray resuming operation to/from these stations, reducing the need for interchanges in the morning peak at Connolly Station. This includes all morning Phoenix Park Tunnel services operating to/from Grand Canal Dock.
• There will be revised running times on a number of Belfast services, including changes to times on the 06:00hrs and 07:00hrs Belfast to Dublin services, arriving to Dublin at 08:23hrs and 09:20hrs respectively. As well as improving punctuality for Commuter services, this will enable a key gap in the Northern Commuter morning service to be reduced:

o Current departure times from Drogheda (with Donabate times for reference) are: 06:48hrs (07:22hrs), 06:58hrs (07:32hrs), 07:09hrs (07:44hrs), 07:41hrs (08:16hrs)

o New departure times during the same time window from Drogheda (Donabate) from Monday 14th October will be: 06:55hrs (07:30hrs), 07:05hrs (07:39hrs), 07:19hrs (07:55hrs), 07:36hrs (08:13hrs)

• Additionally, the proposed 07:50hrs Dublin Connolly to Belfast will operate at 07:40hrs, to prevent congestion at Malahide.
• Some evening Commuter services which currently commence from Pearse/Grand Canal Dock will commence from Bray / Dun Laoghaire
• There will be some minor changes to departure times to a number of DART, Northern, Maynooth and Phoenix Park Tunnel commuter trains, and one Dublin to Rosslare train to facilitate the above.
• Increased services on the Galway, Waterford and Belfast lines implemented on 26th August will be maintained.
• Weekend timetables will be unchanged