Rail journeys disrupted
Iarnród Éireann announced yesterday that it was having to cancel and reschedule services from Tralee, Cork and Westport, because drivers are refusing to operate new Sunday timetables.
An Iarnród Éireann spokesman said that the company was trying to resolve the dispute and was engaging in talks with SIPTU and the National Bus and Railway Union.
However, the spokesman said that as yet drivers hadn’t agreed to operate the Sunday timetable, which was introduced on December 9.
As a result tomorrow’s 11am service from Heuston station in Dublin to Cork has been cancelled.
Services from Cork to Dublin Heuston will operate at 8.30am and 10.30am and not 7.30am, 9.30am and 11.30am as advertised.
The 8.30am Cork to Heuston train will stop at Mallow at 8.52am, Charleville at 9.07am and Limerick Junction 9.29am, arriving in Heuston at 11.20am.
The 10.30am service from Cork will serve Mallow at 10.52am, Charleville at 11.07am and Thurles at 11.46am before arriving at Dublin Heuston at 1.20pm.
Meanwhile, drivers have refused to operate the 1.30pm service from Westport, Co Mayo to Dublin.
This has been deferred to 2.25pm and the 1.20pm Ballina to Manulla Junction service has been put back to 2.15pm as a result.
In addition, the 8.10am Tralee to Cork train (change at Mallow for Dublin) will depart Tralee at 07.15hrs, and operate to Mallow only.
This train will arrive at Farranfore at 7.29am, Killarney at 7.51am, Rathmore 8.10am, Millstreet 8.20am, Banteer 8.32am and Mallow 8.47am.
It will connect with a service from Mallow to Dublin, which departs Mallow at 8.52am and arrive in Dublin at 11.20am.
Meanwhile, it was announced that 2007 was a record year for passengers on the Luas Red and Green Lines,
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said that almost 29 million people used the service, which was up three million on the previous year.
