Iarnród Éireann’s emergency new timetable comes into force today to try and address “punctuality issues” that have plagued services since the summer.

The additional morning services on the Belfast-Dublin line were blamed for causing rail congestion in Dublin resulting in serious delays and overcrowding.

The Chair of the Transport Committee and Dublin TD, Alan Farrell, had also complained that there was an unacceptably long gap between commuter trains during the morning peak to make way for intercity services.

From today, Iarnród Éireann has partly switched back to its old timetable

“Morning Connolly route services will revert to pre-26th August pattern to address punctuality issues, with minor time changes to accommodate extra services.”

Enterprise services between Belfast and Dublin have also been retimetabled.

“There will be revised running times on a number of Belfast services, including changes to times on the 06:00hrs and 07:00hrs Belfast to Dublin services, arriving to Dublin at 08:23hrs and 09:20hrs respectively.

As well as improving punctuality for Commuter services, this will enable a key gap in the Northern Commuter morning service to be reduced”, the rail operator said.

Searches on the Irish Rail travel planner reveal that the service leaving Belfast at 7am has been removed altogether.

The morning service from Dublin to Belfast will now leave earlier “to prevent congestion at Malahide.”

Iarnród Éireann insists that the changes will not see a reduction in intercity services overall.

“Increased services on the Galway, Waterford and Belfast lines implemented on 26th August will be maintained.”

And the rail firm has apologised for the problems.

“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.”

The company promises that these latest changes will solve the delays suffered by travellers over the last few weeks.

“The changes from 14th October [today] will restore morning service patterns, rebalance the timetable to improve punctuality and end to end journey times for commuters, while accommodating improved frequency on a number of Intercity routes, including the Dublin to Belfast route.

The changes follow engagement with the National Transport Authority and our colleagues in Translink.”