Irish Rail told timetable change was nothing short of a disaster – Farrell

Irish Rail CEO Jim Meade was right to admit the timetable change didn’t work, as it was nothing short of a disaster, a Fine Gael TD has said.

The chief executive appeared before the Oireachtas Transport Committee.

Deputy Farrell, chair of the committee, said:

“Irish Rail came before the committee today (Wednesday 9^th October 2024) and accepted that they made a mistake.

“What must follow now is a commitment to ensure existing service levels are enhanced and that a clear path for track investment is brought forward in the new year, so that plans can be brought to the relevant planning authorities.

“I know that I am not the only one who feels the timetable change was a disaster, both amongst the public and within Irish Rail.

“These issues were particularly acute across the North Dublin routes, with some services not serving Pearse Street station, affecting tens of thousands of commuters from Louth, Meath, and North County Dublin.

“Changes also led to concerns in relation to platform safety and bottlenecks at various stations.

“I appreciate the rationale of the change in trying to facilitate the hourly Enterprise Service to Belfast, but this cannot be done to the detriment of commuters.

“The move last week to return to the pre-August timetable was welcome, however it does not take from the major inconvenience and disruption caused for passengers and commuters.

“As someone who uses the train regularly, I was subject to this disruption and could see firsthand the levels of frustration amongst passengers as they were faced with packed platforms, overcrowded trains, and delayed journeys.

“Ultimeately, it is incumbent on Irish Rail to reliably maintain the existing levels of service and then enhance it where possible.

“As we encourage people to shift to sustainable transport options, providing reliable, efficient public transport options is a crucial aspect of this.

“I want to thank Irish Rail for coming before the committee and engaging with members and look forward to working constructively with them going forward,” Deputy Farrell concluded.