Great Western Coffee Shop

New timetable in operation from Sunday 10th December

29 November 2017

Iarnród Éireann advises customers that a number of changes to its timetables across all routes will take effect from Sunday 10th December.

Customers on all routes are advised to check times before travel as there have been minor changes to departure and arrival times on many services including intermediate stations.

Please search the Journey Planner above for full details, or see our printed timetables here.

The most significant changes are:

    Journey time improvements following line improvement works
        between 3 and 10 minutes to services on the Dublin Heuston to Cork route
        between 2 and 12 minutes between Limerick and Dublin (including via Limerick Junction) also benefiting from signaling and platform works in Limerick Station
        between 2 and 6 minutes to services between Portlaoise and Dublin Heuston
    Minor changes to departure times on routes in the Dublin area (including DART, Northern Commuter, Maynooth/M3, Kildare, and Grand Canal Dock to Newbridge) to improve punctuality
    Services which currently depart Cork at 20 past the hour will depart at 25 past the hour (eg 09:20hrs will depart at 09:25hrs)
    On Sundays only the 08:20hrs Limerick to Heuston, 11:30hrs Portlaoise to Heuston, 18:25hrs and 19:25hrs Heuston to Limerick will all stop additionally at Monasterevin.

Customers should particularly note the following services which will depart earlier than at present:

    05:40hrs Longford to Dublin Pearse is advanced to depart at 05:35hrs
    09:45hrs Limerick Junction to Waterford is advanced to depart at 09:40hrs
    15:30hrs Heuston to Portlaoise is advanced to depart at 15:25hrs
    17:25hrs Limerick to Ballybrophy via Nenagh is advanced to depart at 17:20hrs
    Sundays only 09:40hrs Limerick to Limerick Junction is advanced to depart at 09:30hrs
    Sundays only 20:50hrs Cork to Mallow is advanced to depart at 20:40hrs

Iarnród Éireann plans a further and more significant timetable revision in the first half of 2018 to enhance DART frequency, off-peak Maynooth services and other changes, subject to a full public consultation process, and the approval of the National Transport Authority.

A new Irish Rail timetable comes into effect today Sunday 10th December, 2017.

In general only minor changes with a more comprehensive change scheduled for next year.

The Fishguard ship sails from Rosslare at 08.00 and 18.10 (no connection into 08.00 except a Local Link bus from Wexford Mon-Sat) but daily train connection into the 18.10 (arriving Rosslare circa 16.30)

In the reverse direction the overnight sailing (23.45 ex Fishguard) arrives at 04.00 (05.35 train). The ferry terminal is open and warm even at this early hour so no need to wander out and walk over to the station till 05.15/20.

13.10 ex Fishguard arrives 16.25hrs (18.00 hrs train/ 17.40 hrs Sundays)

Sadly, no connection from Dublin into the 08:00 boat, and no connection to Swansea or beyond (train to Carmarthen only) off the 18:10 bus.  Net effect, no connections from Dublin to Swansea / Cardiff (let alone to Bristol or London).  All journeys require an overnight at some location.  Broken route for tourists.

The 22.14 train from Fishguard Harbour (23.03 on Sundays) runs to Swansea daily providing a connection out of the 18.10 sailing ex Rosslare (arrives Fishguard Harbour 21.25).

I sampled it a few months ago.

Myself and the two other passengers (both off the ferry too; none of us knew each other) were admitted to the waiting room at Swansea (the station shutters are closed for a period in the early hours). The staff encountered were friendly. We were able to board the 03.52 Paddington HST in good time which helped. I alighted at Cardiff - I believe the others were bound for London or beyond. The time actually passed quite quickly. But admittedly it is far from ideal. One wonders would there be merit in the 22.14hrs train (ex FGH) running through to Cardiff particularly at weekends. Of course in an ideal world one could have a slow overnight train the whole way through to Paddington!!! Perhaps not such an outlandish thought