Iarnr≤d ╔ireann intends to upgrade the commuter service between Portlaoise and Dublin, but not for another 18 months, The Irish Times has been told.
News of the planned upgrade, which will see the introduction of new larger railcars and possibly extra services, comes as commuters in Portlaoise voice fears about overcrowding on trains on the route.
Until 1999, Portlaoise was served by an evening inter-city train which left Dublin at 5.20 p.m. and arrived in the town without stopping about 40 minutes later. However, since then, ═arnrod ╔ireann has decided this train may not stop at Portlaoise and homeward-bound commuters must now watch its spacious aisles and empty seats speed out of Dublin as they wait for the next train.
According to the Portlaoise Rail Commuters Action Committee, the next train, the 5.30 p.m. commuter train, is dangerously overcrowded, serving all stops to Portlaoise. The committee claims that when the Monasterevin station opens in the near future, safety risks will be unacceptable.
═arnr≤d ╔ireann has put additional trains on to spread the crowding. There are now services out of Dublin at 6.40 p.m. and 7.15 p.m. but according to Mr Martin Dunne of the Rail Action Committee, these services are too late in the evening, getting commuters home to Portlaoise at about 8 p.m. and 8.35 p.m. respectively.
In 1999, Iarnr≤d ╔ireann said the decision to stop the 5.20 p.m. train from serving Portlaoise was taken because the company wanted to separate inter-city services from commuter services, as is the norm elsewhere. However this has been rejected by Mr Dunne who points out that the current 5.30 p.m. train which the company suggests is used by commuters is actually the Limerick train.
"Currently this train serves Newbridge, Kildare and Portarlington and Limerick and is frequently overcrowded with passengers forced to squeeze into the available space between the coaches.
"About 20 per cent of the people who use this train cannot get seats and on one occasion we found 176 people forced to stand or sit on the floors and in between railcars.
"Now we understand Iarnrod Eireann has plans to stop this train at the new Monasterevin station which is due to open shortly. Undoubtedly this will place a further strain on the capacity and service will deteriorate even further for travelling passengers if nothing is done to address the situation."
Ms Patricia Carroll, another commuter on the service, said the consequences for passengers "if the train has to brake suddenly causing people to be jolted could be personal injury, not least personal injury caused by one passenger to another" and this must be highlighted.
The Rail Commuters Action Committee members are now calling for Iarnr≤d ╔ireann to guarantee to increase permanently the capacity of the train to cater for another station. Alternatively, they insist the company could stop other trains at Portlaoise which currently pass non-stop.
"This would relieve the overcrowding on the current 5.30 p.m. service and provide a better choice of train service to one of the fastest-growing commuter towns in Leinster."
However Iarnr≤d ╔ireann says it intends to continue to separate its inter-city service to offer "full facilities" to travellers on inter-urban trains.
A spokeswoman says the company is aware the service is crowded but adds "that is the nature of commuter trains. We understand that it can be uncomfortable but that is the experience of commuter trains elsewhere around the world".
She says numbers have grown in recent years in towns along the route and to improve the service to towns such as Portlaoise, Iarnr≤d ╔ireann will be introducing larger rail cars which are more suited to commuting. The schedule would also be reviewed.
