Train cleanliness in Ireland
 

Where I live in the North of England our local train company (Northern Rail) have a particularly problem with litter on trains, not helped with their lapse attitude to cleaning the trains when in service.

Do you have similar problems on the DART (also Commuter services)? Do on-train cleaners come through collecting litter when the train is in service?

On commuter trains and trams, the big problem is free newspapers, in particular after rush hour. Certainly with trams, the newspaper suppliers have an arrangement where they remove them from the trams. Otherwise, litter is generally modest on urban transport, but I think they could do with having some roving cleaning staff especially after rush hour.

On intercity trains, there are on-board cleaning staff sometimes. The big problem tends to be food and drink packaging left on tables. The problem can sometimes be compounded by trains not being cleaned at termini.

Stations and stops tend to only be modestly littered, although stop stations have a problem with cigarette litter on the tracks.

Rubbish shocking when you get to end of the line
 

I find the state of rubbish shocking on the trains, but i'm not pointing fingers of blame at IE. Free papers are one thing, although i find it quite odd that we have become a newspaper littering society. I suppose if you don't pay for something you're not really going to value it, are you?

The commuter trains are the worst. Just had a not-so-empty can of red-bull-imitation muck fall over on me and now my knee is all sticky. Seriously? That's not to mention in the mornings how many people leave coffee cups on the tables. The worst has to be a few weeks ago on a Saturday morning, I got the train down from Dundalk with 4 empty cans of dutch gold and 2 empty crisp packets shoved down the side of my chair, disgusting! Funny how people seem to litter less on the intercity trains, unless these are cleaned more frequently?

The Enterprise has the most militant cleaning staff I've ever seen anywhere, never mind a train service. On each running one person goes up and down taking rubbish off you the whole time. I suppose it makes sense in that they sell quite a bit of coffee/drinks/food and so cleaning as you go (Ryanair shtyle) minimises this type of work when they get into station (when it seems the team are busy doing other things: loading / unloading, etc.).

I'm not suggesting the Enterprise service be rolled out for other services but i can't make heads or tails of the littering: there's plenty of bins on the trains and they're rarely full. It must have something to do with the littering culture that we have, is that why we have to pay a charge now for plastic bags?

A friend of mine once said that throwing rubbish on the ground/out the window of your car gives someone a job, but i just think it makes our country look disgusting.

(sorry for the rant) :)

For the same money, that person could have a much more useful and rewarding job making something instead of undoing your acquaintance's mess.

Biggest problem IE have on Intercity routes is the toilets are not cleared enough, largely only given a good clear once a day when the train is finished duties. At times the tanks often left full and don't get me started on the smell.

The on-board cleaner fell victim to cutbacks some years ago. I don't think there is tanking equipment at most termini, unlike over here where you see lads in orange fluorescent connect the trains up to pipes at both ends to make sure everything is sorted. On the other hand over here you also have plenty of Mk3s going around dispensing into the cess...

The main problem I see with the level of cleanliness is that so many people need to bring their mammies with them to clean up after them. What is wrong with people who get off a train after two stops leaving a half-drunk cup of coffee behind them that they didn't even buy on the train?

And then there is the old chestnut of finding my laptop power supply with the fresh minty smell of melting chewing gum and the the joy of finding that it has dripped onto my trouser leg. There is no excuse - particularly on the 22Ks where there are bins under most of the seats.

Dirty trains isn't really so much Irish Rail's fault. It is somewhat reasonable to expect somebody to clean up stuff bought on the train but if you bring it with you, bin it or take it with you. Occasionally I get on the train in the morning and it is filthy but if it's been stabled in Sligo overnight and the last train is late or the cleaner is off sick, it isn't unreasonable that they miss out now and then.

Whiffy toilets seems to be a much more serious issue on 29Ks than on 22Ks.

It's people with their feets on seats that really annoy me. Some of the seats are so dirty that no one can sit on them.