— When trains are delayed, some EU rail operators give more detailed reasons on real-time information online and on in-station displays, while Irish Rail’s real-time “will show trains running perfectly on time”.
If you travel on Irish Rail much, you’ll likely have heard of “technical issues” delaying trains. Internationally, operators such as Deutsche Bahn in Germany and NS in the Netherlands outline more details of why trains are delayed, and Rail Users Ireland wants Irish Rail to follow this.
Other countries didn’t always get in right on information flow in the case of delays, Dutch operator NS, for example, embarked on a programme of upgrading what information it displays in stations and on its real-time information online.
That was in 2016, and things are much clearer now. That was in 2016, and things are much clearer now. As explained in a video from NS, passengers are given reasons for delays, as well as estimated times for issues to be resolved and sometimes information on alternatives, such as other trains or routes they can take.
A “technical issue” in one case last week in Westport, Rail Users Ireland posted on X, was “actually was a freight train which side-swiped the train set and did major damage to the train.”
The group said: “Lack of honesty and transparency from Irish Rail is unacceptable when it comes to delays and cancellations… How can we trust anything they post?”
Mark Gleeson, a spokesperson for Rail Users Ireland, said: “Passengers are sick and tired of technical problems and generic operational problems excuses.”
“Clear and detailed information is critically important so passengers can make informed decisions if they need to change plans,” he said.
Gleeson said: “Monday had bus replacements on Midleton services in the morning and evening, Tuesday morning had further cancellations including the 05:40 to Dublin, all ‘operational’ no explanation given. If you look at Europe, clearer detail is given, and real-time information reflects reality, whereas Irish Rail real-time will show trains running perfectly on time.”
He said that the damaged six-car railcar “will impact services for months to come” and that passengers are “already seeing daily lists of trains with reduced capacity, no reason or apologies given.”
In a statement released to local media last week, Irish Rail said: “On Monday night, shortly before midnight, during a low-speed shunting movement, unladen timber wagons on a freight train were in collision with an out-of-service stabled Intercity train at Westport Station.”
The State-owned company said that the Westport collision resulted in damage to one carriage on the six-carriage Intercity train, affecting the cab and side of the carriage.
“Iarnród Éireann reported this to the Railway Accident Investigation Unit of the Department of Transport and the Commission for Railway Regulation, and has commenced its own investigation of the incident. The train has been moved to our Laois Traincare Centre in Portlaoise, where damage to the carriage is being evaluated to inform the repair process. Pending this, the six-carriage train is out of service at this time,” the company said in the statement.
Barry Kenny, a spokesperson for Irish Rail said: “On Tuesday morning, the extent of damage was being assessed and social media advised customers of the cancellation, and arrangements, which is the purpose of the accounts.”
He said the Railway Accident Investigation Unit was notified “within 30 minutes of the incident occurring on Monday night.”
“On a broad point, we are one of the leading public sector organisations in Ireland in our activity on social media, primarily for live service updates, and for advising customers of delays and issues arising. I believe we have demonstrated transparency throughout the long time we have been active, and many customers have attested to that, with social media teams thanked,” Kenny said.
Asked about the lack of any public communication about a fire on the 18:00 Galway to Dublin train on February 9th, Kenny said that the company tries to avoid causing unnecessary alarm for passengers or their families.
The train was evacuated at Portarlington station, and three fire tenders attended the station. The train was delayed by around two hours, and nothing was posted online about the incident, not even with a generic.
Kenny said: “We will also not tend to cause unnecessary alarm: members of the public who read ‘fire on train’ will undoubtedly think of friends and family and worry that they are at risk.”
“In this instance, there was a report of smoke – entirely external to the passenger saloon areas – and as a precaution, the fire services were called and passengers removed from the train. The fuel line fault did cause a brief flare-up, and the fire suppression system worked as designed, extinguishing the flame swiftly, and the train proceeded on its journey,” he said.
He said Rail Users Ireland might be interested in more details than the general public, but the group said that at least some extra detail can be helpful to allow passengers to make up their minds on their travel arrangements.
Kenny said: “We will tend towards more generic and easily understood phrases such as a technical or mechanical fault not detailed mechanical diagnoses like traction engine fault, as customers want to know how they are affected – that is the focus. Rail Users Ireland, to be fair, are more interested in this detailed technical information, but that is not typical of our customers.”
“We would report that as a technical issue in the first instance – the alternative is undue distress while the situation is being established. Likewise, we will report tragic fatal incidents on the line as a ‘tragic incident’ – you could say that’s not being “transparent”, but we are mindful that the circumstance could potentially cause distress to those on board an affected service, or simply seeing our feed giving the sensitivity involved,” he said.
Gleeson said there are examples of Irish Rail getting it right, but it needs to be consistent.
He pointed to an Irish Rail post on X yesterday as an example of not providing all the information needed. Irish Rail posted: “Due to operational issue the 05:40 Cork to Heuston service has been cancelled”, but he said they should have informed passengers that they could use the 06:15 service and that would be making extra stops.
On the issue of where there are no updates, Gleeson added that the way social media has gone, “an information vacuum gets filled” when the information isn’t being put out there on official channels.
Kenny said the Galway to Dublin service issue occurred after advertised staffed hours of social media, and customers affected were advised directly, adding, “That said, our out-of-hours arrangements should have provided for posting of these updates, given the extent of the delay which resulted, as they have on many occasions for lengthy delays.”
> In a statement released to local media last week, Irish Rail said: “On Monday night, shortly before midnight, during a low-speed shunting movement, unladen timber wagons on a freight train were in collision with an out-of-service stabled Intercity train at Westport Station.
That’s quite a lot of “cushioning” adjectives: “low-speed” “unladen”, “in collision”, “out-of-service”, “stabled”. Presumably the intent is to avoid people panicking about rail safety (despite its fantastic safety record), but I’d prefer if they were more direct and straightforward.
I’d be happy if they just posted the generic messages somewhere on their own site, given that their Twitter/X account is inaccessible without an account.