Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The provision of rail services is an operational matter for larnród Éireann in conjunction with the National Transport Authority. As the matter had been raised by the Deputy, I contacted the NTA on this matter.

The NTA has entered into a public service contract with larnród Éireann for the provision of rail passenger services. The contract specifies the service and capacities to be provided for intercity, commuter and DART services. Intercity services generally operate over regional distances, while commuter services serve commuter belt areas with a greater stopping frequency. There are key stations on the rail network where passengers are able to avail of either an intercity or commuter rail service. larnród Éireann continually manages the capacity of its services on both a short-term and a long-term basis to ensure it provides the optimum capacity on all its services through the timetable for the company's customers.

Earlier this year, there was significant pressure on capacity on Friday evening services from Dublin to Westport in particular, and the company responded by increasing the seating capacity by 200 seats on Friday through adding extra carriages on the 17.10 Friday service only. This service alone now provides in excess of 300 additional seats for Westport line customers on a Friday and on the 18.15 Heuston to Westport service on Fridays. The company therefore maximises available capacity on Fridays, including public holiday Fridays. However, there can be occasions when there is demand in excess of seating capacity, and the company regrets any inconvenience this causes for customers.

All trains are designed to accommodate standing safely and are certified to do so by the Railway Safety Commission, RSC. In urban rail services internationally, including Ireland, full loading is the norm at peak times. However, it is accepted by larnród Éireann that it is desirable from a comfort point of view that those travelling longer distances outside the commuter area should have a seat for their journey.

Furthermore, some intercity services also serve commuter stops, serving a dual commuter and intercity purpose. For example, the 17.10 Heuston to Westport service on Fridays serves Newbridge, Kildare, Monasterevin and Portarlington, among others, and the 18.15 service has high demand from Tullamore and Athlone daily commuters. Pressure on capacity eases significantly after commuter customers alight at these stations.

The NTA will continue to monitor and review the loadings on rail services through the Dublin commuter belt with a view to identifying whether service adjustments are necessary to achieve a more balanced passenger distribution across the various services. In particular, a review of the last annual rail census will inform the adequacy of the current train set configuration in relation to passenger loadings on the network.

The NTA is undertaking a review of its public service contract with larnród Éireann. As part of this review, the performance regime is to be reviewed and consideration given to the feasibility of including specific passenger capacity targets that limit the amount and frequency of passengers standing on the network.

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