Sir, – Regarding your story on Irish Rail sending 37 senior executives to a Berlin trade fair following the outcry about delays on the Irish rail system (“Irish Rail sends 37 senior officials to Berlin trade fair as it faces anger over delays caused by new timetables”, News, October 3rd), I wonder how much they are going to learn in a country whose rail system is in decline. I made a bike tour in the Nordsee region of Germany in September and both my trains, from and to Hamburg to get to my starting and stopping off points, were cancelled, due to a bridge fire at a key junction.
The day I flew out of Hamburg back to Dublin, I watched an airport TV monitor in disbelief as it showed a railway bridge collapsing in Dresden due to flooding. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL RODDY,
Dún Laoghaire,
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Co Dublin.
Sir, – While the challenges at Irish Rail are undoubtedly both pronounced and pressing, it seems to me that sending 37 officials to a trade show to learn more about how to deliver a better train service is prudent. And at a total cost of €90,000, that’s only 25 per cent of a bike shed – value for money! – Yours, etc,
ANTHONY BEHAN,
Killeagh,
Co Cork.