[Article] CIE slammed over disabled access at station

[ThomasJ]

http://www.carlow-nationalist.ie/tab...t-station.aspx

FACILITIES in Carlow Train Station have been slammed after it emerged that wheelchair users can’t get off at the station. In certain situations, people with wheelchairs are being forced to travel to the next station on the rail line so they can get off the train safely and they are then taxied back to Carlow.

A shocked train user contacted The Nationalist to report the situation, describing it as “atrocious” and criticising the transport umbrella body CIE for wasting money on taxis instead of providing proper facilities in the station.

“Carlow Train Station is in such bad condition that if a wheelchair user comes from Dublin or Waterford they can’t get off in Carlow. They have to travel further down the line to either Bagenalstown or Athy, get off there and then CIE pays for a taxi back to Carlow. It’s outrageous that there is no crossing for them.”

When contacted, John Delaney, station manager for Carlow, Kilkenny and Athy, confirmed that while using taxis to ferry wheelchair passengers back to Carlow did happen, it was “not necessarily” the case in every situation. Mr Delaney went on to explain that twice a day two trains coming in opposite directions meet in Carlow and these pull up on opposite platforms.

Passengers on one train are able to get off on platform one, which is nearest the exit, and passengers on the other train have to get off at platform two, meaning they have to cross an overhead bridge which has a steep set of steps and no wheelchair access to get out of the station.

“Wheelchair users are obliged to contact Iarnród Éireann before they travel so that we can make provisions for them. If we know there is a wheelchair passenger on a train, we make sure we direct the train to the proper platform, but if they don’t alert us we can’t do that.”

Mr Delaney said that this situation did develop a few weeks ago when a passenger who was semi-mobile but used a wheelchair did not tell Iarnród Éireann they were on the train beforehand and they had to continue their journey to Bagenalstown before being taken back to Carlow by taxi.

Speaking about the possibility of providing a wheelchair-accessible overhead link for Carlow Train Station, Mr Delaney said this was something that could possibly happen in the future. “I know there are a few in operation in different stations, like Mallow for example, which operate with lifts. An underground pass would also be another option.”

However, when asked if the money CIE earned from its recently-introduced car park charges in Carlow Train Station could be put towards providing such a service, Mr Delaney said those funds were being spent on car park maintenance.

“Train station car parks are being upgraded with the charges and that is happening in all Iarnród Éireann facilities. At the moment, the situation is that wheelchair passengers are obliged to let us know when they are travelling by contacting customer services so we can accommodate them.”