‘Horror stories’ - Passengers ‘packed in like sardines’ on Waterford to Dublin trains
Kildare North TD Mark Wall has raised the issue of overcrowding on Irish Rail services between Waterford and Dublin
Passengers are being “packed in like sardines” on Waterford to Dublin train services, the Dáil has heard.
The issue was raised by Kildare North TD Mark Wall during a recent ‘Questions on Policy or Legislation’ session.
Deputy Wall said: “I raise with the Tánaiste today the urgent need for additional carriages and hourly train services on the Waterford to Dublin line, which runs through my hometown of Athy.
“I have been raising this issue for the last number of years and I just want to read to the Tánaiste today from an email I got this morning from Eimear, who at the time was on the 7:15am Waterford to Heuston service.
“She said there were 18 people standing in the gap by the doors on the second-last carriage this morning.”
He went on to highlight the experience of an elderly couple who were left standing on the train.
“Two of them were retired people, very unsteady on their feet, who kept stumbling and were struggling to hold onto the train as it moved up and down.
“They had free travel passes, while Eimear had a tax saver ticket through work. After the train stopped in Newbridge, a further 12 people were standing in the same spaces.”
Deputy Wall said that such instances of overcrowding are happening too often.
“This is happening too often. It is happening too often because there is only one early morning service from my hometown of Athy.
“So many people have come to live there and that is what is happening regularly.
“I ask the Tánaiste to request of the Minister for Transport that we get more carriages on that particular line before we have a very serious accident.”
In response, Tánaiste Simon Harris thanked Deputy Wall for raising the issue and said he would contact the Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien.
The Tánaiste stated: “I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of the need for additional train carriage capacity serving his hometown of Athy on that Waterford to Dublin line.
“I thank Eimear for contacting Deputy Wall and providing that live lived experience from a train service this morning.
“I will certainly speak with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and ask that he engage with Irish Rail on the matter and come back to the deputy directly.”
Deputy Wall raised further concerns over overcrowding on Irish Rail services during a recent Dáil debate on railway safety.
He stated: “Overcrowding on Irish Rail services is presenting a very serious health and safety issue for these commuters.
“People are standing in aisles, by entrances and near bike racks just to get on the train. They are packed in like sardines.
“I have had a number of constituents share what can only be described as horror stories of overcrowding on Irish Rail services.
“Only last week, I highlighted one case of an elderly couple who were extremely unsteady on their feet, standing in between carriages because there were no seats left.”
He concluded by saying that these conditions must be addressed before there is a serious accident.