Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 December 2013
575. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the extreme overcrowding on the Dublin-Sligo train service; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Irish Rail has reduced the number of carriages on this route; if his attention has been drawn to the dangers of such overcrowding; his plans for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53044/13]
View answerYes, my attention has been drawn to the matter. While the issue raised is a matter for Iarnród Éireann in conjunction with the National Transport Authority, I have been in contact with the company in relation to the matter. Iarnród Éireann has indicated that it is in the process of implementing new energy saving fleet utilisation initiatives on its DART and Intercity services to generate fuel savings, which will reduce fuel and maintenance costs by €3.2m per annum. Concerns about overcrowding have been raised with the Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann and I understand that the company has already responded and re-introduced larger carriages to accommodate passengers where this has been considered necessary. The Chief Executive has agreed to continuous monitoring of carriage levels on both DART and Intercity services to ensure they match passenger demand.
I have also been advised by the Railway Safety Commission (RSC) that it has received an increased number of public representations relating to crowding and the matter will be discussed further with Iarnród Éireann at their next scheduled supervision meeting. Additionally, RSC Inspectors will undertake some monitoring of Intercity train services over the coming weeks.
