13.10 Heuston-Waterford today 16 June

[Carrage A]

I wasn't on this train today but there was suposed to of being serious issues with passengers on board and Irish Rail did nothing about it just contuined to operate the train as though nothing was happening and that passengers were they would need to take it up with Cuostomer Relations on Monday.

Anyone know more?

[Jamie2k9]

I was on it and it was a discrase. Its by far the worst over the last while. Service was full leaving Heuston. There was a group of 12 to 16 lads going to Waterford. They started drinking since Heuston. They were shouting and roaring thw whole journey. Around Athy/Carlow they started playing loud misic and a passengers asked if they would turn it off. THe whole train could hear them and people were getting pissed off by now. They did turn it off but one or two started shouting verbal abuse at the women. At Carlow I can't be certain but I think one of them touched another women who was getting off and that turned into another shouting match. Then between Carlow and Ballyhale it was the usual making noise and still drinking. Around half of them smoked and they had to get a smoke when they could which was at Athy, Carlow, Kilkenny. The train stopped in Ballyhalw and they thaught they were at a station and got the smokes out. When they realised they were not. Then they started to smoke on the train and in the WC. The whole train then filled with smoke especially 2 carrages and the air condition couldn't get rid of it and passengers had to breath in smoke between Ballyhale and Waterford. I and others had chest pains as it was just constent smoke, it became very hard to breath as the air con just couildn't get it cleared from the carrage. A number of passengers pressed the emergancy intercom and they got no reply and I did also just to see if there was no reply and there wasn't also sent a tweet to IR but nothing back as per.

In Waterford other and I told a member of staff about it and I said I wanted the CCTV downloaded and given to station manager in Waterford and Customer Relations in Dublin by Monday morning. A few people told them what happening and I said and the same will happen again as they were returning tomorrow and I was told that there was security on the 13.05, 15.05 and 18.05. I said whats the point of having them onboard when they allow passengers to drink and say nothing. The response I got was we're very sorry and they will be talking to them in the morning and make sure that any passengers with drink onbaord will be removed at the next station. I then said why is it just sundays there is a drink ban when its the same people who drink going down on Friday or Saturday or is passenger saftey only a sunday concern. I got no answer but was told the manager would be in contact about it during the week. My final response was you never do anything about it so why start now and that was greeted by silance.

[2200DMU]

Was only a matter of time before something like this happened the security have a very relaxed approch and most of the time they just sit and not even walk through the train. Its only in the last 4 weeks that security has being increased as they stopped it for a while (on the 18.05 anyway). Would think to cut costs as they current provide 6 lads for Sundays. Still a little shocked that they have no problem allowing them to return tomorrow but them again its Irish Rail where nothing suprises you.

[karlr42]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

A number of passengers pressed the emergancy intercom and they got no reply

I would want serious disciplinary actions taken against the driver for this. Won't happen though. The RSC should get involved too- the OPO safety case should be very clear on passengers being able to get in touch with the driver in an emergency.

And yes, STT are beyond useless. From what I see on the Maynooth line at night, most of the time they sit in one carriage chatting and make no attempt to patrol, while a bunch of teenagers are drinking elsewhere on the train. Often times they sit in the rear cab(why do they have keys?) which just makes them a complete waste as they're not even a visual deterrent then.

[Jamie2k9]

Te be fair the driver would of not being able to do a lot however it still dosn't make it right. I used the one in the bathroom and a red light came on and I waited a few seconds and just left it. It was near Waterford when it was pressed. Does the smoke alarms in the bathrooms come up in the drivers cab?

Today the when I boarded the 18.05 there was 4 or 5........drinking and half drunk. The security did nothing at all. Should have an update lather today hopefully.

[dowlingm]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

Today the when I boarded the 18.05 there was 4 or 5 non nationals

You mean "passengers"?

[Jamie2k9]

Originally Posted by dowlingm

You mean "passengers"?

.

[Jamie2k9]

http://www.wlrfm.com/wlrfm-podcasts/...-podcasts.html

Must hand it to Barry Kenny for his response going on that passengers can press an emergancy button but failed to say tha drvier didn't anser. Need to listen for the first 14 minutes.

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9

Te be fair the driver would of not being able to do a lot however it still dosn't make it right. I used the one in the bathroom and a red light came on and I waited a few seconds and just left it. It was near Waterford when it was pressed. Does the smoke alarms in the bathrooms come up in the drivers cab?

Today the when I boarded the 18.05 there was 4 or 5........drinking and half drunk. The security did nothing at all. Should have an update lather today hopefully.

Please email info@rsc.ie to formally note a complaint that Irish Rail failed in its safety duty.

[Jamie2k9]

The 14.10 from Heuston on Sundays is suposed to have security onboard and if it did they clearly do nothing. Taken for Irish Rail facebook page.

*********an absolut disgrace of irish rail 3 reasons people smokin an taken drugs on the 2.10 to waterford from dublin plus people booking there seats online and IRISH RAIL NOT LEAVING ANY SEATS FOR PEOPLE WHO PAID 37 EURO FOR A ...RETURN TICKET AT THE STATION !!!!!!!!! THERE was an eldery lady who had to stand the hole way from dublin to kilkenny while a couple from the usa got abuse an i qote do want a f******g fight u old b*****D same with me an my partner we got abuse off them there where also alot of underage drinkers causing havac on the train in future put more security on trians when major events is on in the city and dont be bookin the hole train out to credit an debit card holders i do expect irish rail to get back to me ABOUT THIS MATTER an say sorry for what we had to put up with on 8th of july 2012 it was outrages and it will be the last time il ever use a train to a public event***********

[neoncircles]

Not brushing the issue aside but that is painful to read from a spelling/grammar point of view!

[Sealink]

Am I reading this correctly? Trains in Ireland need to have security on board?

[James Howard]

In fairness this isn't so much an Irish Rail issue as an issue we fail to deal with in society in general. The way to cope with this is to have the guards arrive in force at a station with half a dozen transit vans and lift the lot of them.

Having their mammies having to drive from Waterford to Kilkenny to pick them up from the cells would soften their coughs a bit.

As a nation we tolerate public drunkenness and the resultant bad behaviour too much. I fail to see what Irish Rail are supposed to do if the public in general tolerates this kind of behaviour. To be able to deal with it by force would require putting more security people on the train than scumbags and that will drive up costs to the point where nobody could afford to travel.

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by Sealink

Am I reading this correctly? Trains in Ireland need to have security on board?

Most trains only have a driver. Cork-Dublin and Dublin-Belfast will have a train host and trains with catering will have 1-2 staff for that.

Otherwise, the customer 'experience' is rather detached from the operating company.

90% of people are perfectly decent, the other 10% cause 90%+ of the problems.

[Inniskeen]

I think, strictly speaking, Irish Rail operated Dublin/Belfast/Dublin services have a guard rather than a host. The Cork line train staffing is closer to the NIR approach !

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by Sealink

Am I reading this correctly? Trains in Ireland need to have security on board?

leaving aside the DART/Luas, on intercity routes it is well known that some are more prone to such events - Kilkenny for stag/hen weekends, Galway was once popular for same, the Wexford/Waterford lines too. It is not hard to predict and as a result IE banned alcohol sales and consumption on several services to and from these destinations at one time or another. So,its usually friday afternoon/evening ex-dublin and sunday afternoon evening from the destination. They also had the STT lads and inspectors on board.

We have made submissions on a dedicated transport police to the politicial parties and the companies. It is an issue that we are raising again. Although a seperate division may not be operationally feasible in the current climate, we have creative suggestions to make on it.

[Sealink]

Thanks for explanation, I was rather shocked but am sure that it happens with football trains here too.

[Colm Moore]

For clarity, it tends to be 2-10 people, not entire train loads, although for stags and matches it can be a fair bit more.

[Thomas Ralph]

Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp

They also had the STT lads and inspectors on board.

It has been suggested that STT are a waste of space.