This article is from page 15 of the 2013-12-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 15 JPG
ONE of the key reason cited for low passengers number on the Ennis to Galway section of the Western Rail Corridor has been removed following the introduction of online booking by Iarnród Éireann.
Nearly two years after the issue was first raised with the rail company – Clare passengers can now book their journey up to 60 days in advance and collect their ticket at the station.
The issue of problems with the booking system came to light in January of 2012 when a report into the railway indicated that as few as eight passengers were using the service on an average trip.
While these figures were bitterly disputed by rail campaigner such as West-on-Track, the issue of a lack of online booking was recognised by all concerned as a major problem.
Passengers numbers on the route have been growing on commuter routes such as Ennis/Limerick and Athenry/Galway and it is hoped that online booking may also help to pro- mote business from Ennis, Sixmilebridge and Gort.
“We know this is something which our customers and the wider community have been anxious to see provided for some time,” said a spokesperson from Iarnród Éireann.
“In particular, we’re pleased to be able to provide this in the run-up to Christmas, to give an opportunity to those who have not used the route previously to experience the service, and do their Christmas shopping and other activities without worrying about traffic congestion and parking charges. Our fares from € 5.99 each way for adults and € 2.99 each way for children are extremely competitive, giving big savings to families at a time of year when every cent counts.”
Meanwhile, Corofin company Corporate Catering Services won the contractors award at this year’s Iarnród Éireann Customer Services Awards. The North Clare company operate catering services on the Dublin to Belfast rail line.
The award was presented to Teresa Keenan and Joe Sloan on behalf of Corporate Catering Services.