Cork to Dublin rail service ‘not acceptable’

THE new high-powered state body overseeing public transport services has raised concerns with Iarnród Éireann over the quality of service and fare structure on Dublin-Cork rail services, warning that people will desert rail for their car.

The National Transport Authority has sought answers from Iarnród Éireann about an alleged deterioration in its first class service following complaints raised by one of its own board members who described it as “appalling”.

NTA director Berna Grist said her experience of the company’s first class facilities on Dublin-Cork trains compared very unfavourably with those offered on the Dublin-Belfast route, despite paying €40 over the standard fare for the journey.

“Put simply — to call the service ‘first class’ is deception. None of the extras given on the Belfast train were offered,” said Dr Grist, who is a barrister and senior lecturer at UCD’s School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy.

She pointed out that no newspapers, complimentary glass of water or juice, or waiter service in the restaurant car were available, while there was also no heating in the first class carriage due to an electrical fault.

In a personal letter of complaint to Iarnród Éireann, Dr Grist described the standard of food service as “appalling” regardless of whether people had paid first class or standard fares.

Dr Grist said the premium service on the Dublin-Cork had been much better two years ago and claimed the recent deterioration in the service was “completely unacceptable”.

She also pointed out that many people were now deciding to travel between Dublin and Cork by car because of improved journey times resulting from the completion of the motorway between the two cities.

The NTA director predicted that other dissatisfied Iarnród Éireann customers would “vote with their feet and will desert Irish Rail for the comfort and convenience of their cars”.

Iarnród Éireann replied that she was not entitled to a refund of her first class supplement as the train service on which she travelled was advertised as only having a trolley service. However, it provided her with vouchers worth €20 because of the discomfort she experienced.

In a letter to Iarnród Éireann, NTA chief executive officer Gerry Murphy said Dr Grist’s complaint “raised a broader strategic issue of the charging for a first class service and what that first class service delivers”.

“In terms of customer satisfaction there needs to be a commensurate reward for paying a supplemental charge and also the communications around the service need to be clear.”

In reply, Iarnród Éireann’s chief executive Richard Fearn said first class carriages provided passengers with wider seats and seat spacings that provided “greater privacy and a generally calmer travelling environment”.

Mr Fearn confirmed that Iarnród Éireann charged a higher first class supplement of €34 over the standard €20 supplement on five daily services between Dublin and Cork on which an “at-seat full breakfast or evening meal service” was available.

He confirmed that Iarnród Éireann was happy to refund the cost of the supplement to anyone who had a bad experience of the company’s first class service.

“When customers contact us with regard to the first class service, if they do feel that for good reason the service fell short of their expectations, we have no hesitation in refunding the relevant first class supplement,” said Mr Fearn.