Iarnród Eireann has issued an apology to hundreds of travellers who were left sitting on a train in Connolly Station, Dublin, yesterday for more than 2½ hours before it departed.
A long overrun in work on a level crossing at Sydney Parade meant the line was closed until just after 12.35 p.m. and not 10.30 a.m. as had been envisaged.
Passengers boarded the train just after 9.30 a.m. for the 10 a.m. morning service to Wexford. However, the train sat at the platform until 12.35 before it departed.
A spokesman for Iarnród Eireann said no delay on the line had been envisaged at the time the passengers boarded the train.
"The works were due to be complete at around 10.30, but it simply ran much longer than that. Obviously we are extremely sorry for the delay," he said.
Passengers complained that they were provided with very little information during the delay and had no access to refreshments because the cafe on board was closed.
Mrs Gwen Galvin from Blanchardstown said that after she had been on the train for around 20 minutes after its scheduled departure an announcement was made over the intercom that there would be a delay.
"But just after 11 o'clock they said there were going to be further delays, and they did not know how long it would take. The train was on Platform 5 which is a long way from the facilities in the station, about a 10-minute walk. And because we didn't know when it was leaving people were afraid to get off in case the train left without them."
