Rosslare improved rail connectivity (Paddington-South Wales-Ireland corridor)

[whole diary]

[WEX-RSB-FGH-BPW-PAD]

Some good news in that the evening train Rosslare Europort - Wexford - Wicklow - Dublin Connolly will be deferred to 18.35hrs daily from Tuesday 3rd June till Sunday 31st August 2014 inclusive thereby providing a connection from the 14.30 Fishguard to Rosslare (Stena Line) sailing.

Through ticketing is available (e.g. Swindon-Wexford/ e.g. Carmarthen-Arklow) either from staffed stations or from online portals such as Arriva Trains Wales: http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/SailRail/.

Here is the timetable:
http://www.irishrail.ie/media/08_-_dublin_rosslare_europort_030614.pdf

News item on Iarnr^d ^ireann (Irish Rail) website:

29 May 2014

Changes to departure times on some Rosslare line services from Tuesday 3rd June

Iarnr^d ^ireann will have amended service times on the Rosslare line from 3rd June 2014 until 31st August 2014 to provide greater connectivity for those returning to Ireland by ferry through Rosslare Europort.

    The 17:55hrs Rosslare Europort to Connolly service will be deferred until 18:35hrs Monday to Saturday.
    The 17:36hrs Connolly to Wexford service will depart at usual time but there will be an extended journey time between Gorey and Wexford with an arrival time of 20:27hrs into Wexford Monday to Friday.
    On Sundays the 17:40hrs Rosslare Europort to Connolly service will be deferred to 18:35hrs.

So whether travelling Reading to Rathdrum (the latter is an ideal base for the Wicklow Mountains with a connecting bus) or Weston-super-Mare to Wexford it will be possible from Tuesday to complete the entire journey in daytime.

The Rosslare-Dublin rail journey is a scenic delight in its own right too - the sloblands of South Wexford, the street/quayside run through Wexford town, along the banks of the Slaney to Enniscorthy where the train tunnels under the town, the wooded stretch through the Vale of Avoca, the run along Leamore Strand north of Wicklow, the Bray Head tunnels (Brunel was involved here), the spectacular curve of Killiney Bay, Dun Laoghaire and then cityscapes.

To summarise, three out of the daily four sailings are now rail connected at Rosslare:

09.00 Rosslare-Fishguard sailing: no rail connection. Daily Bus ^ireann Expressway route 40 connection from Waterford city, New Ross and Wexford arriving at the terminal 08.25 (no bus connection from any points north of Wexford town to this sailing).

21.00 Rosslare-Fishguard sailing: 16.37 Dublin-Wicklow-Wexford-Rosslare train (arrive 19.25). On Saturday & Sunday the 16.37 train doesn't operate so it's necessary to take the 13.36 train on Saturdays /13.45 on Sundays.
Coming from Waterford take Bus ^ireann local route 370 (rail replacement) which departs the city's bus station at 17.30 Mon-Sat inclusive reaching the port at 19.10. This journey is often delayed by traffic congestion but will still reach the port in time for the sailing. On Sundays depart Waterford 16.30 Bus ^ireann Expressway route 40 and change bus at Wexford rail station.

02.45 Fishguard-Rosslare sailing (arrive Rosslare 06.15): 07.20 Rosslare-Wexford-Wicklow-Dublin train Mon-Sat. 09.40 train on Sundays.
Bus ^ireann local route 370 to Waterford departs the ferry terminal at 06.40 Mon-Sat reaching the city's bus station at 08.30. Bus ^ireann Expressway route 40 departs the ferry terminal at 07.00 Mon-Sat (07.15 Sundays) arriving Waterford 08.45. NB: single and day return fare on route 370 is ^13. Fares on route 40 are higher.

14.30 Fishguard-Rosslare sailing (arrive Rosslare 18.00):
From Tues 3rd June - train at 18.35 daily Rosslare-Wexford-Wicklow-Dublin.
Bus ^ireann Expressway route 40 at 19.00 daily to New Ross and Waterford.

Resources:
Bus ^ireann route 370 (Rosslare-Wellingtonbridge-Waterford rail replacement) timetable:
http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1284376415-370.pdf

Bus ^ireann Expressway route 40 timetable:
http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1401116303-new40.pdf

Information on the Fishguard-Rosslare route vessel MV Stena Europe:
http://www.stenaline.ie/ferries/Stena-Europe?fbType=destPage&destPageName=ferries-to-britain&destPageId={C4BFC606-40C2-473A-951B-5772B9D583B3}

[grahame]

Good news ... I have been put off using that route in the past and gone the much more painful way via Holyhead.

Caution ... this change from Rosslare to Dublin was made in the high summer last year, but then reverted. I'm not sure if there are two passenger flows that the train from Rosslare has to take, one being all year and the other being summer only, or if the earlier timing in the rest of the year is just to save on the cost of crew hanging around waiting at Rosslare, and perhaps opening signalling locations up the line later into the evening?

[WEX-RSB-FGH-BPW-PAD]

I understand that there were several complaints last year from non-ferry passengers boarding at stations along the line as the train departed Rosslare Europort at 19.15hrs and ran an hour and twenty minutes later than previously (17.55hrs).

This year the train is only operating 40 minutes later (18.35hrs) so that should minimise/eliminate such complaints.

The entire line south of Bray is single track and as the evening train from Rosslare is heading towards the capital it has to cross three southbound trains (16.37 Dublin-Rosslare, 17.36 Dublin-Wexford & 18.38 Dublin-Rosslare). All of these trains would have commuters onboard coming from Dublin. There are passing loops at all stations (except Kilcoole) but it is something of a juggling act to path the trains to cross and minimise "crossing delays" for each train too. Also the Bray to Greystones section has DARTs each way every half an hour so trains to/from Rosslare can only pass through this section at certain minutes past each hour.

As well as the benefit for ferry passengers the later departure also allows beachgoers a while longer at Rosslare Strand.

While the "domestic travel" (both commuter and leisure) component of the customer base along the Rosslare-Dublin line will always be significantly greater than the ferry passenger segment I think it is important that the timetable accommodates both and this timetable is probably the best reconciliation of both that can be achieved at the present time.

I hope that many fellow travellers will avail of it. It would be good if it could be retained year-round.

Edited to correct typos.