Great Western Coffee Shop

Hee, hee, it's still technically "The West", but a bit North too and over some water.

Had a great experience of public transport in Ireland on Saturday.

First off I attempt to plan a journey Translink, the integrated public transport provider for Northern Ireland which combines the bus and rail providers. Sounds good as the website (which has won awards) provides service information, combined journey planing etc, but is ineptly put together http://www.translink.co.uk/ and takes ages to find anything.
I wanted to go crossborder to Dublin so had to use Enterprise railways, which have set fares http://www.translink.co.uk/enterprisefares.asp#enterprisefares which is much easier (but still baffling structure eg ^21 single from Portadown or ^16.50 from Newry, 20 minutes down the line)

The station at Portadown is basic, they have no passenger information screens but hold everyone in the ticket hall and your train is called by the inspector shouting and you are let on the platform.  It has a ticket office and a roving ticket inspector.  But, when things go wrong (which is frequent), no one knows what is happening.  My train was due at 13.01 and by 13.05 there was an inaudible PA announcement to say it was delayed by the inspector.  10 mins pass, the inspector shouts, but not quite loud enough that they have no information.  40 minutes pass, he does the same but with the added info that the train had failed on a single track section.  By this time I have missed my bus connection and ferry.  However, I was able to obtain a no quibbles refund there and then, and dragging my host out of work I was driven to Dublin with half hour to spare before last check in.  A hour later I hear that there was still no information from the website or station about when the next train was due.

OK, now to the ferries.  Am sat in the departure lounge, the PA and departures board call boarding, last call and closing but no human comes to unlock the doors.  The ferry finally docks half hour late but there is still no information.  We arrive in Holyhead and the pilot decided to park the ferry on the pontoon, there's a loud crash and shudder, we back out of port and attempt to dock again, and again and again.  Walking off the ferry there's a huge gaping hole in the front off the ship about a deck high.  Due to "technical problems" all departures today have been canceled. LOL

I get home at Plymouth 12 and a bit hours after setting off, having used more fuel driving home thank I did driving there.

I recommend the through train/ferry/train fares that are to be found at www.sailrail.co.uk. Surprisingly cheap - Plymouth to Belfast single via Holyhead is ^36.20. Probably cheaper than the train-only fare from Plymouth to Holyhead.

Hmmmm - as someone who is no *living* in NI (Belfast) Mon-Fri until September I 'd like to make some observations.

1. Public transport on a daily basis limited - non existant

2. NIE railways are always having problems - making FGW look like a first class opeator

3. Traffic is awful for such a small city

But remember -  despite being part of the UK, it isnt really.  YOu cant use most finders (store etc) by post code - most companies are a separate entity. 

I'm finding living there - I hear very little about the mainland until I get home on fridays.  At the risk of being political - ireland is united in all but name.