P11 PR: New €117million train carriages blocked by unions

[TomB]

New €117million train carriages blocked by unions

Iarnród Éireann are delaying the introduction of new trains for the
Dublin-Cork service due to industrial relations matters, Platform 11
(Ireland's rail passengers organisation) can reveal.

The 67 Cork Dublin Express coaches have been testing since their
delivery in July 2005, with a cost of €117 million to the taxpayer.
The carriages will be used to eventually provide an hourly service on
the Dublin-Cork route from December 2006, not December 2005 as first
proposed.

Although coaches normally need to undergo testing before entering
service, Platform 11 is aware of no safety issues which prevent
introduction of the new coaches, which are badly needed to ease
overcrowding as well to finally removed unreliable steam-heated
carriages over 40 years old that are still being used on some
services.

Iarnród Éireann plan to replace the role of train guards with a new position
of 'train manager'. Train guards are refusing to accept this change
and are blocking the introduction of the new carriages, even though
they can be seen daily by passengers on antiquated, cramped trains as
they pass the Iarnród Éireann works in Inchicore.

The new carriages were initially planned to be entered into service in
December 2005, with successive Iarnród Éireann spokesmen pushing the
date back first to January, then March.

Platform 11 is calling on unions and Iarnród Éireann to find a solution to
their squabbles so that rail passengers can benefit from the first new
intercity carriages since 1984. Unions have a long history of resistance to
improvements in service, from longer DART carriages to extension of
services to Greystones and new trains on the Maynooth line. Equally as
these carriages have been on order for years we do not see why Iarnród
Éireann has not dealt with this issue at an earlier stage.

ends