[MrX]

Well there are a few problems here. My grandmother's not normally this immobile and would not normally need help on a train. She had an accident and this rendered her very immobile to the level that each step was very painful and she was on two crutches.

Now, she asked for help at Kent station at the ticket desk when she arrived. She didn't get offered anything. No priority boarding, nothing. Just told gruffly that she couldn't do an upgrade.

From that point on she just assumed that no further help was available. It's all very well to assume that people know these services exist, but they're not advertised and they're not offered so it's quite difficult to access them. It's a very different scenario for someone who is a long-term wheel chair user or who is used to using these services on board.

How was she supposed to know that there was a ramp available on each coach if no one told her? Or how was she supposed to know that she was supposed to phone ahead if she needed assistance if she's never had to do that before? It's not printed on the tickets, it's not written on a sign, it's not advertised. Sure, it might be on some obscure note on their website, but it's not good enough in my opinion.

I'm sure some IE staff are great when it comes to helping people with mobility issues. However, as usual, there's no consistancey. It's the same as the fact that you can't be sure of getting food on a train half the time. Nothing's predicable, standards are not universally maintained and there's absolutely no quality control worth talking about. One train can be great, clean, well managed and with an excellent food service. You try another train on the same route and it can be filthy, poorly managed and have no catering!

I still think the way she was treated was unacceptably shoddy and that someone should have offered some kind of assistance.

It was extremely obvious that this old lady + her sister were struggling their way up the platform unaided when I arrived. She looks old and she's on two crutches! I mean how hard is it to spot that someone like that might need a hand?! Even if the station's busy, staff saw her and just ignored her.

Also, the way the parking attendant treated us in Heuston was nothing short of absolutely ignorant and was totally unacceptable. I do not appreciate being shouted abuse at by anyone in any situation. There was no problem / major traffic issue. He was just utterly unreasonable and unhelpful