Rail Users Ireland

Delays of up to 30minutes

Signalling issue between Newbridge and Sallins

0600 Heuston Cork +29

Line has reopened between Pearse and Dún Laoghaire

First northbound and southbound trains has just passed Grand Canal Dock without issue

Grand Canal Dock station is OPEN

Some minor service alternations due trains out of place
0659 Connolly Bray cancelled

“Jay” - meaning- A foolish person on X: "@IrishRail I would say a while yeah 😂 https://t.co/pwjIjObAeE" / X @IrishRail I would say a while yeah 😂 https://t.co/pwjIjObAeE

Helpful tweet here showing some of the damage

The worst of the damage could be out of site nearer Pearse

x.com/Gay4Molemann...

Services remain suspended Dún Laoghaire Pearse

Overheard wire equipment has collapsed on the platform at Grand Canal Dock

Major damage to overhead line equipment at Grand Canal Dock

All services suspended Pearse Dún Laoghaire until further notice

What should we be doing now?

Alstom are late on delivery, existing fleets struggling. Financial penalties if paid go to DoT bank account - don't help passengers

Push Alstom to provide technical support & overhaul for existing fleet, the 1984 DART fleet is an Alstom product...

7/7

But its not all about the battery.

First powered test run on the southside of Dublin was in February 2026, 14 months after the first train reached Dublin...

6/n

Then it all goes wrong

Battery supplier pulls battery due an incident in Australia with a similar battery and triggers a redesign

All testing to date on battery has to be reset and redone on new battery. Battery vendor and therefore Alstom on the hook for compensation

5/n

The low risk approach would have been to start on the existing DART line with the base model without all the battery, charging and training complexity to build confidence

The first order of 18 trains does include 6 electric only trains, none have been delivered

4/n

Overconfidence

Program calls for on day 0 of operations
1. Maintain electric trains at Drogheda
2. First with ETCS, no legacy train protection
3. Automatic charging
4. Automatic change over from battery to overhead on the move
5. Pop out door ramps
6. Training of drivers

3/n

Irish Rail was ready to sign contracts in May 2021, but the NTA and DoT took until December 2021 to sign off, thats +6 months lost to bureaucracy

This is a trend we see where approval takes months to come through and why is it always December? It is to spend money not spent

2/n

Further slippage on the DART+ fleet program

Only 10 of the 57 trains ordered will be in service by end of 2027, replacement of the 1984 fleet will not complete until early 2030

We should have had 18 in service by end of 2026.

Where did it go wrong, get a cup of tea...

🧵

0630 Dundalk Bray running as 4 coaches not 8

The expect overcrowding and delays

Major delays impacting Galway and Wesport services

1310 Westport Heuston +84
1445 Heuston Wesport +40

Delays to further services expected

'Packed, sweaty and unsafe': Our readers on their experiences of commuting by train in Ireland “I can say without hesitation that Ireland’s system is among the worst I have seen in a developed economy,” one reader said.

Politicians talk about investing in rail but when it comes down to signing contracts it’s delays, excuses & stopgap investments

www.thejournal.ie/our-readers-...

Reasonably good morning on the trains unless you are in Rosslare

0625 Galway Heuston +21
0710 Rosslare Connolly cancelled

1927 Bray Howth +30

Technical fault

From Sunday March 1st. Paper free travel passes are no longer valid. Only the Public Services Card will be accepted

The PSC card must
Be in date
Show ‘FT’ flash

Failure to present a valid ticket or pass may result in a fine, removal from the service and/or court summons.

0811 Malahide Bray was fully cancelled

0945 Bray Malahide part cancelled, may start form Connolly or it may not...

0811 Malahide Bray part cancelled

0736 Drogheda Pearse service will call at Clongriffin and Howth Junc

Signalling problems between Pearse and Grand Canal Dock is delaying trains

So whats this €1.75bn?

This is the payment to the Luas operator to operate the service and to maintain the fleet and infrastructure.

All fares are collected by the NTA/TII. Luas farebox revenue historically has been greater than the operating cost.

Transdev loses €1.75bn Luas contract after running Dublin tram service for 22 years French-British joint venture between Keolis and Amey believed to have been selected as preferred bidder for light rail service

Luas needs a refresh and a greater focus on reliability, new management is a good start.

Transdev loses €1.75bn Luas contract after running Dublin tram service for 22 years
www.irishtimes.com/business/202...

0615 Bray Malahide +16, risk to 0751 Malahide Greystones

Ticket machines and leap validators not working at Clonsilla

Sadly there are a number of people like this who you will find are on first name terms with the gardai and security

Irish Rail should be getting more court orders to ban them

M3 - Docklands will operate only M3 - Clonsilla due to a signalling fault.

Docklands station is closed this morning as a result. Expect major overcrowding between Clonsilla and Broombridge as a result

0915 Bray Howth cancelled due earlier train failure

0740 Howth Bray terminated at Clontraf Rd due a technical fault

0540 Sligo Connolly left Maynooth over 4 minutes early today. Critical peak hour train departed early.
Unacceptable

214 occurrences of a train leaving a station more than a minute early yesterday, just between Dublin Connolly and Greystones. 11 occurrence of a train leaving more than 5 minutes early

It's bad enough the trains are constantly late, leaving early is unacceptable