IARNRÓD ÉIREANN HAS announced alterations to its timetable once again following uproar at its previous change from 26 August. 

A new service was launched on 26 August but this resulted in a large number of services being delayed and carriages being overcrowded.

But three weeks later, Irish Rail amended this timetable on the back of complaints.

Irish Rail chief executive Jim Meade appeared before the Oireachtas Transport Committee to discuss the impact of the timetable changes earlier this week.

He told the Committee that Irish Rail “overstretched the capacity of the system” with changes that came into place in August.

“We did try and get the half gallon into the pint glass on this stage,” he said.

Today, Irish Rail said that it “recognises the enormous disruption to our customers’ daily lives which have resulted from timetable changes since 26th August.

“In accommodating increased services on the Dublin to Belfast route, and managing overall capacity in the city centre area, the changes had a disproportionate negative impact on commuting punctuality and overall journey times, for which we are sorry.”

From Monday, the morning Connolly route services will revert to the pre-26 August service patterns. Irish Rail said that this will “rebalance the timetable” while accommodating improved frequency on a number of Intercity routes, including the Dublin to Belfast route.

From Monday, the most significant changes to the timetable will be as follows:

• Trains which previously terminated at Pearse, Grand Canal Dock and Bray will resume operation to and from these stations.
• Revised running times on a number of Belfast services, including changes to times on the 06:00am and 07:00am Belfast to Dublin services, arriving to Dublin at 08:23am and 09:20am respectively.

“As well as improving punctuality for Commuter services, this will enable a key gap in the Northern Commuter morning service to be reduced,” Iarnród Éireann said, highlighting additional departure times from Drogheda.

• Some evening 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.

Full details of changes will be available for customers at www.irishrail.ie and the Iarnród Éireann app.

The changes follow engagement with the National Transport Authority and Irish Rail colleagues in Translink, the company said.