It is the policy of Iarnród Éireann that all new stations and all stations undergoing major refurbishment are planned on the basis of meeting full accessibility standards for passengers with mobility and sensory impairments. The biggest problem is that most of station infrastructure — station buildings, platforms, overbridges — was put in place 150 years ago and requires substantial investment to be adapted to meet current needs. Iarnród Éireann is in the process of upgrading facilities at older stations and providing access to platforms that were previously inaccessible by way of lifts and footbridges. This work has been carried out so far in ten stations — Athlone, lifts to subway; Balbriggan; Laytown, almost completed; Longford, one lift to road bridge; Mallow; Portarlington; Portlaoise; Skerries; Portmarnock; and Templemore. Iarnród Éireann has also upgraded access in Carrick-on-Shannon and Sydney Parade stations, and is in the process of completing accessibility improvements in Athy station.
At present Iarnród Éireann is carrying out a feasibility study on the Dublin-Cork route with a view to initiating a programme to refurbish ten stations on the line to fully accessible standards. The completion of this work will coincide with the introduction of the new intercity carriages that will come into service at the end of 2005. The stations are: Heuston; Portarlington; Portlaoise; Ballybrophy; Templemore; Thurles; Limerick Junction; Charleville; Mallow; and Cork.
Iarnród Éireann is continuing with the DART upgrade project which, when completed, will provide full access in 23 stations for the mobility and sensory impaired. This will involve improvements in the current ramps in a number of stations and in situations where ramps are not possible, lifts will be built. These will be installed in ten stations.
The accessibility of stations in north Tipperary is as follows: Birdhill has only one platform and this is accessible; Nenagh has only one platform and this is accessible; Cloughjordan has only one platform and this is accessible; and Roscrea has only one platform and this is accessible. In Templemore two lifts and a footbridge have been installed and further works will be carried out under the Cork route accessibility project to increase the accessibility at this station. Thurles has access to both platforms and the accessibility will be much improved when the work is carried out under the Cork route accessibility project.
