This article is from page 56 of the 2013-01-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 56 JPG
IRISH Rail has been urged to improve accessibility at Ennis Rail Station after claims that passengers are sometimes forced to cross platforms through the doors of two stopped trains.
Irish Rail yesterday denied the claim that was made at yesterday’s meeting of councillors in the Ennis West Electoral Area.
In a motion tabled at the meeting, Councillor Brian Meaney (GP) called on the committee to request Irish Rail provide seating and shelter on the Galway platform at Ennis Station. He said the absence of seating and shelter on the Galway platform is causing difficulty to elderly and disabled passengers. He said the new footbridge is still not accessible to disabled people.
Cllr Meaney added, “It is still quite frustrating to see elderly people moving across the footbridge and having nowhere to sit apart from the plinth of the Old Victorian footbridge.”
He called on the committee to write to Irish Rail to highlight these concerns.
Cllr James Breen (Ind) asked if Irish Rail is in compliance with Irish and European law on disability.
Cllr Breen said that as someone who has to use a crutch, he would have great difficulty catching a train on the Galway platform.
Cllr Meaney told the meeting that he had heard instances where passengers who are unable to use the footbridge are brought through the trains that are stopped side by side on the tracks.
He said in other circumstances, trains are switch tracks in order to collect passengers.
Councillors said this was not a satisfactory situation for passengers. They agreed to write to Irish Rail.
Cllr Meaney added that much of the recent criticism of the number of passengers using the Galway line was “unwarranted”.
Speaking yesterday, a spokesperson for Irish Rail denied that passengers are transferred across platforms through stopped trains.
She said, “We would never have a situation where passengers are brought through from train to train. As far as we are aware that has never happened in Ennis. There are situations where we bring trains into the other platform.”
The spokeswoman acknowledged there are issues around access for disabled people at the station.