Seamus Kirk
Question:358 Mr. Kirk asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the serious overcrowding on the Dundalk to Dublin trains at certain times; if he will have the matter urgently examined. [17995/02]
Adjournment Debate. - Rail Services.
I am very much aware of the problem of crowding on commuter routes at peak periods, including on the Dublin-Dundalk route, and am conscious of the discomfort and inconvenience this causes to passengers.
Iarnród Éireann has a statutory responsibility for ensuring the safety of its passengers. It is therefore a matter for the company to satisfy itself that the number of passengers being carried in any particular train or carriage does not compromise overall passenger safety.
Data provided by Iarnród Éireann show that over the period from 1994 to 2001, passenger numbers on suburban services increased from 18.8 million to an estimated 22.7 million.
In order to address this, significant funding has been, and continues to be, made available to Iarnród Éireann for investment to improve the safety of the network, increase the passenger capacity of the system and improve the quality, reliability and speed of services. Iarnród Éireann has ordered 80 diesel rail cars for use on suburban routes and delivery of these is expected to commence shortly. The ongoing delivery of this new rolling stock will increase the available capacity, including the capacity on the Dundalk to Dublin route, to deal with peak periods and should help to alleviate the present crowding difficulties.
In the meantime, the railway inspectorate of my Department continues to monitor developments in regard to crowding on trains. It has been in contact with Iarnród Éireann on a number of occasions drawing its attention to the importance of keeping the issue of crowding under review and has also raised particular aspects of the crowding problem with Iarnród Éireann. Iarnród Éireann has advised the inspectorate that the recommendations made by its consultants in 2001 for alleviating crowding on services in the Dublin area are being implemented by the company.
My predecessor advised the House on several previous occasions that there are no national or EU quantitative safety standards in existence at present in regard to the maximum number of passengers permitted on trains and this is still the case.
The Railway Safety Bill, 2001, which was published in December last and will commence Second Stage in the House tomorrow, will require all railway undertakings, including Iarnród Éireann, to implement a formal safety management system and to describe that system in a document called a "safety case". The Bill will require a railway undertaking to identify in its safety case all issues impacting on the safety of its operations. Such issues would include its strategy for managing crowding of trains. The railway safety commission, to be established under the Bill, will need to be satisfied that the proposed strategy is adequate to ensure the safety of passengers.
Fergus O'Dowd
Question:359 Mr. O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport the reason the rates for rail users travelling from Drogheda to Dublin are so high; the way in which the current prices are compiled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18003/02]
Iarnród Éireann informs me that weekly tickets are offered at discounted rates which are adjusted from time to time in line with cost increases and market demands.
It states that some fares from Drogheda were adjusted in August of this year. While the fares from Balbriggan were not changed at that time they are scheduled to be included in the next review.
The company further informs me that rail fares between Drogheda and Dublin are compiled on a mileage basis that is constant with journeys of the same distance anywhere on the intercity network. Balbriggan is the outer limit of the Dublin suburban area.
Iarnród Éireann has indicated that recent surveys of international rail companies show that Iarnród Éireann fares are among the lowest in Europe.