Sir, - In reply to Conor Power (October 29th), morning peak DART services have somewhat become a victim of their own success. Numbers continue to rise to record levels and this is felt most acutely by Mr Power and his fellow passengers during a one-hour period in the morning when, despite having every available DART unit in operation (a unique feat in European suburban systems), heavy loadings have become the norm.
Obviously, we in Iarnrod Eireann are seeking to address this in a number of ways. Mr Power refers to our removal of seats in test carriages. This has proven very popular and we will extend this further shortly. We are also in the process of ordering 10 more DART units, which will be delivered to us in 1999. As for extending platforms, as all carriages are in use during this morning peak, such a measure would not increase overall capacity, and indeed would reduce service frequency. However, increased capacity would allow such a move, as is currently taking place on our Northern line suburban stations to facilitate new railcars for outer suburban services, which will be delivered next year.
We fully recognise that our customers have been used in the past to less crowded DART services. The current situation, while not ideal, is experienced in most rapid transit systems worldwide. However, it must be pointed out that for 17 of our 18 hours of daily operation, DART more than adequately meets the demand for services. The one-hour concentration of loadings is due to DART's success in bringing commuters speedily and reliably to their workplaces, schools and colleges. Their road-based counterparts are continually forced to travel much earlier to guarantee such reliability. - Yours, etc.,
Manager, Suburban Rail, Iarnrod Eireann, Pearse Station, Dublin 2.