Nenagh-Dublin service axing

[Destructix]

Tipperary Star

THE Junior Minister for Public Transport, Alan Kelly, is to meet Irish Rail executives this week to discuss ways to improve passenger numbers on the Nenagh to Ballybrophy line. The train company proposes to cut some services under its new timetable, and commuters can submit their views on the planned changes to the company over the coming weeks.

Deputy Kelly had announced a new early morning direct service to Dublin earlier this year, but at the time, both he and Nenagh Rail Partnership warned that it would be a case of “use it or lose it”. The service has failed to attract enough passengers to keep it running.

“The new services in Nenagh and Roscrea, which were the first for over 20 years, have not attracted sufficient passengers. I stated publicly at the time of the service that it was a case of ‘use it or lose it.

“However I will be meeting with Irish Rail this week with a view to working up a plan to increase passenger usage on the line. I would call upon members of the public directly affected to feed back into Irish Rail’s to contact them as part of consultation process,” said Deputy Kelly.

The Labour Junior Minister for North Tipperary and South Offaly stated that there were rail cuts all over the country in Dublin, Cork and Limerick because of a financial crisis in Irish Rail.

“These cuts have been minimised in all Tipperary stations. The withdrawals are focused on services not well used and many of them are sensible and reasonable in the current economic environment – the situation we were left in by Fianna Fail,” he said.

While Nenagh Rail Partnership said it regretted the withdrawal of the early morning direct commuter service, it did not attract viable passenger numbers.

However, a spokesperson said: “We believe it could have operated successfully if it had been better timetabled and properly promoted. We expressed our concerns on both matters to Irish Rail in advance but we were ignored.

“We also pointed out at the planning stage that the proposed timetable was both unworkable and unattractivee.”

The spokesperson said the partnership welcomed the planned improvements to the most popular train services on the line from January. Journeys to and from Dublin will be 18 to 20 minutes faster in some cases.

Meanwhile, Deputy Kelly said that Templemore will “continue to have an excellent rail service with over 13 trains stopping in the station from both directions.

“I have consulted with Templemore Rail Users Group and those commuting to Dublin will have some improved journey times now. I welcome this.

“Templemore will remain well served for a rural town. Two services 20 minutes apart in the early morning will be merged and two services leaving Dublin one hour apart will be merged. There is one other withdrawal of an off-peak service.

“In the very difficult climate, this is sensible and reasonable but still keeps Templemore extremely well served by rail.”

Just as Mark said in another thread they are blaming advertisement and times of the service.