Short trains and no facilities

[Edward Ryan]

I would like to tell everyone of my journey from hell from Gorey to Dublin and back again last Thursday (26/July).

My wife had gone to my daughters house in Navan for a few days to see our first grandchild. Work commitments stopped me from going. However I was off work the day my wife was due home so we arranged to meet in Dublin and travel home together.

I arrived at Goery station in plenty of time for the 0850 train and purchased my ticket (day return EUR14.50). The train arrived on time but to my supprise it was only 4 carrages long. Around 50 people boarded at Gorey and most of them had to stand(I was one of them). Another large crowd boarded at Arklow and even standing space became scarce. I was surrounded by people their baggage their buggies and the tea man with his refreshment cart even he was pinned in by the crowd.To my joy the train arrived at Amians St on time and was glad to get off that "cattle wagon".

I met my wife at the bus station and returned to the station for the 11.35 train home to Gorey. Up on platform5 my wife asked where the toilets were to be told that they were back down in the main station building. As it was now 11.20 my wife opted to wait and use the toilets on the train.
11.35 passed and no sign of the train. On asking a staff member he told me the train was having technical difficulties. No P.A. message was made to advise passangers. The train actually left Amians St at 11.50 and my wife went in search of the toilet.

She returned to tell me that both toilets were out of order. I eventually tracked down the ticket conductor at one of the toilets and told him of the problem. He was aware of the problem and told me he was trying to fix them. I returned to my seat and by this stage my wife was in discomfort. The conductor the made a P.A. message telling all passangers that all the toilets were out of order and the he had arranged a toilet stop at Wicklow station.
I went to the conductor again and told him that my wife could not wait for Wicklow. He opened up one of the toilets for her which smelled and had no running water although my wife did not mind at this stage. At Wicklow i noted over 20 people making use of the station rest rooms.

Iarnrod Eireann should be asshamed to be providing such a shambles of a service to its Rosslare route passangers.However i must say the staff member on the 11.35 train was helpfull and kept passangers informed. Next time however I shall use my car.

Ed