Dart drivers are threatening to withdraw northbound night services from next Monday because of increasing attacks by gangs of teenage hooligans.
More than 50 drivers have sent a letter to Iarnrod Eireann and to the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, stating that unless ticket-checkers and extra security guards are placed on northbound trains, they are not prepared to operate the service after 6.40 p.m. each evening.
DART drivers say the source of the problem is a gang of 25 to 30 teenagers which operates around the Kilbarrack and Bayside stations. Last night one of the organisers of the petition said a 64-year-old colleague had been at tacked recently and had to receive stitches to his face. He stressed that the drivers did not wish to disrupt services but they were no longer prepared to put themselves at risk.
SIPTU branch secretary Mr Tony Tobin said he sympathised with the drivers. A former DART driver himself, he said the only solution was the introduction of railway police, similar to those employed on most other suburban rail systems in Europe. He said further discussions would take place today with the company.
A spokesman for Iarnrod Eireann said there had been a number of arrests over the past three days and he expressed surprise at the threatened action. The company intended increasing private security staffing on the trains.