Irish Rail sent dozens of senior officials to a transport convention in Berlin in recent days, at a time when it is struggling to overcome serious timetable problems that have led to long delays and overcrowding on some of its busiest services.
A new timetable will be published on Thursday and will become operational on Monday week. It will be the fourth such schedule in three months after two botched timetable changes in August and September led commuters to complain of chaos on the railway.
The delegation of 37 officials from the State-owned company who travelled last week to Germany was led by Irish Rail chief executive Jim Meade and other top managers. The cost of travel, accommodation and convention entry fees was in the region of €90,000, said Irish Rail.
The group was among 44 officials from Irish State bodies who attended the biennial InnoTrans convention in the German capital, a four-day event billed as the “leading international trade fair for transport technology”.
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The attractions at the convention, which took place in 42 halls in the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, include a 3.5km outdoor track displaying “everything from tank wagons to high-speed trains”.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland, which is responsible for the proposed Dublin MetroLink underground rail system, sent five officials. They included Sean Sweeney, the New Zealand infrastructure expert newly in charge of MetroLink.
One person went from the National Transport Authority, which manages public transport contracts, and a rail safety official was also listed among attendees.
Irish Rail said its delegation primarily comprised technical officials involved in its €8 billion programme to modernise its network, the biggest fleet investment in the history of Irish railways.
However, the visit came at a time of persistent and unresolved difficulties with the timetable that have now prompted a third change in as many months.
“We will tomorrow be confirming changes to the timetable which will be implemented from Monday, 14th October,” said the company on Wednesday.
Describing the InnoTrans event as a showcase for technology and innovation, Irish Rail said 30 officials attended the last fair two years ago. The total attendance in 2022 was more than 137,000, said the organisers.
“The Iarnród Éireann delegation to InnoTrans comprised 37 people, primarily technical specialists and programme leads across our extensive portfolio of capital investments, infrastructure and fleet management, procurement and train operations,” said the company.
“The opportunity to engage extensively with industry peers and suppliers will facilitate improved service delivery, innovation, efficiency and sustainability as we progress through this transformative era.
“Previous innovations identified through InnoTrans now incorporated in our investment programme include the battery-electric technology integral to our new Dart+ fleet and innovations in alternative fuels being developed for our diesel-powered fleet.”
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