Talks urged to resolve Cork tourist train row

The operator of Cork’s derailed tourist train could face legal action following a protracted dispute over its pickup location.

Independent councillor Paudie Dineen led calls last night for last-minute talks between Cork City Council and the operator to get the service back on track.

He said the city is “missing out big time” by not having such a service. “I am confident that a solution to this can be found. I would appeal to city officials to give it one last shot,” he said.

The city’s head of corporate affairs, Paul Moynihan, said the council has to consider all options, up to and including legal action, to ensure adherence to a contract in place between the council and the operator.

Mr Moynihan said the council had incurred significant expense in preparing the contract for a tourist train service in the city.

Councillors signed off on a €70,000 investment in the initiative in late 2015, with details on lease arrangements to the proposed operator, Pat Flynn, from Ovens, Co Cork, potential routes, and operating times signed off on.

It had been hoped that following road tests, the service would be up and running in early 2016. Apart from a few runs over a handful of days, the service never got going.

Mr Moynihan said both sides willingly entered into the contract and he alleged that the terms of the contract are not now being complied with by one of the parties.

Three years’ work has gone into trying to find a resolution to this. But the operator perceives to have an entitlement to operate from a particular location,” he said.

“The contract waived any right for the tourist train to operate from any other location.”

Mr Flynn has claimed the original pick-up location on Union Quay is not suitable to attract passengers, particularly tourists. It is understood he has repeatedly sought to secure a pick-up spot on Grand Parade, which City Hall has ruled out.