Rail passengers left thirsty and hungry on four hour commute across the country – Duffy

Rail commuters have to travel up to four hours from the west to Dublin without any catering facilities, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Senator Mark Duffy has highlighted the absence of catering services on the Mayo-Dublin rail line and asked they be re-introduced having been suspended over four years ago.

“Over the past number of years, I have advocated for the introduction of early morning and late evening services between Mayo and Dublin which have been really well received but what has come up time after time is catering on these services.”

Speaking at the Transport Committee this week, Senator Duffy asked for an update on the catering contract that had gone out to tender in 2024. The National Transport Authority (NTA) responded that funding was not currently available to re-introduce the service.

Senator Duffy said this situation had been mismanaged and had “raised false hopes for passengers” going on to ask if the market should not decide.

“Anecdotally we have constituents in all of our constituencies begging for the re-introduction of the service. The journey from Mayo to Dublin can take up to four hours at times and from a public health point of view there is a standard of service that needs to be introduced. Passengers are being left to go thirsty and hungry with no catering services onboard.

In response, the NTA claimed that the catering service available on the Cork-Dublin line is currently loss making and therefore any re-introduction of catering services on the Mayo-Dublin line would need to be subsidised.

Senator Duffy insisted that Mayo passengers should be entitled to the same services as other users of Irish Rail – “I don’t see why Mayo passengers are second class. Our message is clear that we want it introduced.”

Senator Duffy asked for the NTA to come back with a proposal and “let us make the decision as Government representatives to support your efforts.”