Limerick Station

[ACustomer]

Spent a half-hour in Limerick station yesterday waiting for a train. I had plenty of time to see just what an appaling dump the place is. There has been some attampt to brighten up the main concourse and the glass screen probably makes it more bearable in winter, However the overall impression is pretty tatty, certainly a million miles away from the concourse in Heuston.

The real horror is the train-shed: dark, dingy, peeling paint on the walls. The platform surfaces are uneven, the tracks are quite obviously ancient and weed-infested, which gives an impression of total neglect (Frank McCourt used the adjective "bockity" a lot: it fits Limerick station perfectly).

The state of the tracks is probably the reason for the draconian speed limits (15mph) for the best part of a mile on the line to Limerick Junction. Even the station staff look somewhat down-at-heel, in contrast to what you find in many other locations.

WHat is it about Limerick? The city has a terrible image, but at least there seems to be some awareness of this at local authority level. However CIE must surely be responsible for a truly terrible impression people get on arrival. I say CIE, because the adjecent Bus Eireann terminal is not exactly a palace either.

I wonder about the caliber of local management.