Intending travellers on the Sligo-Dublin line are met at Sligo station by a staff member, who asks them their destination. They are then directed to one of the waiting coaches, which will take them to Mullingar or Edgeworthstown, from where they will continue their journey by train.
However, this has been going on since March, and is necessary because of the engineering work that has been in progress intermittently on the line for the past two years. Yet, according to Iarnrod Eireann's route manager, Mr Greg Mullin, since June 18th there were times when they could have been running trains straight through but for the dispute.
More than £30 million worth of work is being carried out on the line. As a result there is much goodwill for Iarnrod Eireann and this has carried over to the interruptions caused by the dispute.
The experience of dealing with the effects of the engineering works has also helped staff deal with the dispute. According to Mr Mullin not one service has been cancelled since the dispute began.
"The departures have taken place at all the advertised times," he said. "For instance, the 4.50 a.m. to Dublin on Mondays have been bussed there. Great credit is due to the staff."
Mr Mullin himself has been present at the railway station in Sligo at all hours, shepherding passengers on to buses, ensuring drivers are available to fill gaps, keeping track of all arrivals and departures.
"We haven't left anyone behind yet," he said. "People appreciate if you make an effort. We try to cope with everything - bicycles, canoes, kayaks, surf-boards, the lot. There are notices up saying there might be delays, but the maximum has been five or 10 minutes."
Yet the volume of passengers has definitely been affected, he acknowledged. For the August bank holiday the reduction was 40 to 50 per cent.
However, this has not had a noticeable effect on the tourism industry, according to a spokeswoman for North-West Tourism. She said the dispute had had two, contradictory, effects.
On the one hand the broadcasting of the dispute overseas probably resulted in many back-packers leaving Ireland out of their itinerary. But on the other, the fact that the Sligo line had not been seriously affected probably meant that many of those originally intending to travel to the southwest and west opted for the north-west instead.
This is borne out by the Yeats Country hostel, across the road from the station. According to its manager, who did not want his name published, the dispute had had no effect at all.
"We've been full every night, and we're turning people away," he said.