IRISH Rail has responded to pressure from Northside commuters angered by changes to its timetable.
As a result of the changes, which came into effect on September 9, Howth Junction, Clongriffin and Portmarnock were served by fewer weekday services on the Northern Commuter line (Dundalk/Drogheda to Dublin).
To offset this, Irish Rail increased its frequency of DART services. However, major capacity problems at peak times were reported as well as “less carriages’ thus leading to overcrowding.
In a statement last Friday (September 14), Irish Rail said following on from customer feedback, additional services will now be added to the morning peak from Portmarnock and Clongriffin.
“Iarnród Éireann introduced a new timetable on Sunday, September 9 to provide for enhanced DART frequency,” said a spokesperson for the company.
“As with all timetables a period of bedding in is needed to ensure that the new timetable meets customers’ needs.
“Whilst the vast majority of this new timetable has provided a much enhanced service to DART commuters and provided for the provision of additional off-peak commuter services from December of this year, some capacity issues have arisen.
“The main issue that has arisen is around capacity on the Northside of Dublin. As a direct response to customer feedback we are making the following changes from September 17:
• Portmarnock will have two additional services:
07:29 Portmarnock-Pearse
07:42 Portmarnock-Bray
• Clongriffin will have the following extra service:
07:45 Clongriffin-Bray
Irish Rail believes that these changes will address the capacity issues that have arisen particularly at inner DART stations such as Harmonstown and Killester and the frequency concerns from customers from Portmarnock and Clongriffin.
“Portmarnock now has the same number of peak morning services as it had before the timetable change and Clongriffin has one extra,” the spokesperson added.
However, Cllr Michael O’Brien (Solidarity), who represents the Beaumont Donaghmede Local Electoral Area (LEA) on Dublin City Council, said major capacity problems at peak times are emerging for Northside DART commuters under the new timetable arrangement.
Cllr O’Brien said he hosted a public meeting in Clongriffin last week for local commuters to discuss the issue.
“Irish Rail have sold these changes as a total positive in the sense that DARTs will arrive every 10 minutes from Howth Junction to Bray and back,” he said.
“However, instead of investing in the necessary extra rolling stock in line with the increased frequency, they have simply lopped off carriages from the pre-existing services thus leaving commuters at peak times with shorter trains and resultant overcrowding.
“On top of this, commuters in Portmarnock have lost their three morning peak time Northern suburban services leaving those passengers having to pile onto the available Malahide DARTs.
“By the time these DARTs arrive at their third stop in Clongriffin they are full and the situation worsens as these journeys progress towards the city centre.