Dedicated to quality rail service

YOUR editorial writer (Feb 14) does not seem to have made any objective assessment of facts in coming to the conclusions printed.

To say that Iarnród Éireann “too often gives the impression that it is happy to plod along, enjoying the privileges and shelter of a state-funded monopoly” is lazy bias which ignores amongst many other things:

* That during the past decade, we have renewed our fleet, expanded frequency and quality of services, and are offering a vastly improved service, meeting National Transport Authority performance measures

* That we have increased passenger service train miles by over 77% from 2002 to 2010, while reducing staff numbers by over 27% and costs at 2010 prices by almost 26%

* That we have engaged in a cost reduction programme in the past two years which has seen costs reduced by over €57 million per annum while maintaining the vast majority of services, and indeed expanding services on some routes in response to customer demand.

As with all railways in Europe, we do receive a subsidy to provide services which would not otherwise be provided. However, our annual subsidy is amongst the lowest in Western Europe, and has been reduced by €43 million or almost 23% between 2008 and 2011.

Your characterisation of the organisation particularly does a disservice to the workforce who has delivered the improvements, changes and savings described above.

You call for a “living advertisement for this country … that show we value excellence and professionalism,” yet appear to have quickly forgotten how this winter our workforce demonstrated this ably.

Through their dedication to public service, we maintained all rail services around our network in unprecedented weather conditions, when other transport modes here, and railways in other countries, faced significant curtailments to their services.

Barry Kenny

Manager

Corporate Communications

Iarnród Éireann

Dublin 1