CIE/IE's continued retreat from rural Ireland

Judgement Day

From today's Irish Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0615/1224272519739.html

ANNE LUCEY in Killarney

THERE HAS been strong criticism of the decision by Iarnród Éireann to reduce public opening times of the main ticket office at Killarney railway station at the height of the tourist season.

The introduction of automated vending machines at the station is the reason for the change, the railway company said.

The mayor of Killarney Michael Gleeson said the Killarney station was “more than a ticket office”.

Some 14 hours were being cut from opening times, no summer staff were being employed and Killarney now shared a station master with Tralee.

“The cuts should be reversed immediately,” Mr Gleeson said. The cuts meant the public office closed two afternoons and one early morning.

“It is unacceptable in a major tourist destination, where rail travel is a major component of the industry, to have reduced office opening hours each day from Monday to Thursday inclusive. It is vital that tourists should have all day access to the station office. That tourists will arrive at a railway station with a locked up office will give a very poor impression of Killarney and Kerry and of Killarney’s concern for the well-being of the traveller/tourist,” Mr Gleeson said.

It is also important for local people that the office would be accessible all day each day as it has been. At least 40 per cent of people do not have the necessary technology to book online, he said.

Tickets such as family fares could not be purchased through vending machines, Mr Gleeson added. “Reducing the opening hours will undoubtedly cost both Iarnród Éireann and Killarney tourism,” he said.

Iarnród Éireann said it had recently invested in technology to upgrade the ticket vending machines at Killarney “to enable those with online reservations to collect their tickets from the machines also.

“The booking office at Killarney is manned during busy periods but may be unattended at quieter times. There are, however, always staff members at the station at Killarney, who are happy to assist customers in using the ticket vending and ticket collection machines if it is required,” Iarnród Éireann said.

GerardKeating

Judgement Day wrote: »

From today's Irish Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0615/1224272519739.html

ANNE LUCEY in Killarney

THERE HAS been strong criticism of the decision by Iarnród Éireann to reduce public opening times of the main ticket office at Killarney railway station at the height of the tourist season.

The introduction of automated vending machines at the station is the reason for the change, the railway company said.

The mayor of Killarney Michael Gleeson said the Killarney station was “more than a ticket office”.

Some 14 hours were being cut from opening times, no summer staff were being employed and Killarney now shared a station master with Tralee.

“The cuts should be reversed immediately,” Mr Gleeson said. The cuts meant the public office closed two afternoons and one early morning.

“It is unacceptable in a major tourist destination, where rail travel is a major component of the industry, to have reduced office opening hours each day from Monday to Thursday inclusive. It is vital that tourists should have all day access to the station office. That tourists will arrive at a railway station with a locked up office will give a very poor impression of Killarney and Kerry and of Killarney’s concern for the well-being of the traveller/tourist,” Mr Gleeson said.

It is also important for local people that the office would be accessible all day each day as it has been. At least 40 per cent of people do not have the necessary technology to book online, he said.

Tickets such as family fares could not be purchased through vending machines, Mr Gleeson added. “Reducing the opening hours will undoubtedly cost both Iarnród Éireann and Killarney tourism,” he said.

Iarnród Éireann said it had recently invested in technology to upgrade the ticket vending machines at Killarney “to enable those with online reservations to collect their tickets from the machines also.

“The booking office at Killarney is manned during busy periods but may be unattended at quieter times. There are, however, always staff members at the station at Killarney, who are happy to assist customers in using the ticket vending and ticket collection machines if it is required,” Iarnród Éireann said.

This issues is not unique to rural stations, many/most stations in Dublin are unmanned in the evenings and have been so for years.

Judgement Day

True, but there is a bit of difference having Raheny or Booterstown unmanned and a major tourist destination like Killarney. It isn't clear from your post whether or not you approve of CIE/IE massive cost cutting measure?

corktina

whilst I dont like the idea of unmanned stations, I fear its a trend that can only increase given the current climate and the ever-increasing competition from modern roads.

I wonder exactly how many tourists DO use trains to/from Killarney....judging by the odd train I see at Banteer it can't be a whole lot.

foggy_lad

i think stations like killarney and other tourist hotspots should be manned all day everyday even if it is just by a ticket seller who can give people directions and tell people where the bus stops are for when they miss their connections!

Run_to_da_hills

Over in Holland NS charge you 15% extra on your fare if you buy it over the counter rather than from vending machines, mind you the machines are user friendly.

Cookie_Monster

Most of these tourists come from counties that have working public transport and so will be well familiar with these machines.

If they have to cut hours from somewhere I'd rather it be stations than running one less train or similar.

Judgement Day

If they have to cut hours let them start at HQ with Barry Kenny, Dick Fearn etc.

Victor

If they have staff on site all day, why can't they staff the ticket office all day?

Separately, as a destination, surely these tourists aren't actually buying all that many tickets there?

And would Killarney Town Council like to, em, financially support the station? Seeing as it is so critical to tourism?

jimmycrackcorm

Is this thread about people being able to buy tickets or using the ticket office as a tourist office?

DWCommuter

I despise CIE and all it stands for, but I also despise the local gombeenism political bull**** that parades through this country as if they think they are relevent.

The mayor of Killarney Michael Gleeson said the Killarney station was “more than a ticket office”.

It is more than a ticket office. Its a station that has trains running into and out of it.

He's obviously living in the days of the Tod Andrews playtex wearing train hostess that would probably wipe your arse if you spoke with an American accent. I'm sorry JD, but while I disagree with the IE approach to how they run a railway, I also disagree with this notion that the local station is meant to be the centre of some great community project where staff hang around all day scratching their holes and being rude to people.

Tourist : "Where do I get a jaunting car?
IE Staff member: "Outside that door over there...I think"
Tourist: Gee Thanks.

Tourist leaves.

IE Staff member: "Prick!". (Lights up another fag, scratches arse and heads to the jacks with a newspaper.)

I'd prefer to see every station unmanned, because I find the quality of what they are manned with to be utterly useless. Give me easily accessible vending machines with clear and concise signage, clean toilets, punctual trains and Im happy. But IE cant even do that right either!

Godge

Judgement Day wrote: »

True, but there is a bit of difference having Raheny or Booterstown unmanned and a major tourist destination like Killarney. It isn't clear from your post whether or not you approve of CIE/IE massive cost cutting measure?

Yes, there is a bit of a difference. Hundreds of passengers travel through Raheny and Booterstown every hour. Tens of passenger pass through Killarney.

Levy all the tourist businesses in Killarney to pay for the staffing of the station. If it will affect business that much, they will share the cost.

jahalpin

Godge wrote: »

Yes, there is a bit of a difference. Hundreds of passengers travel through Raheny and Booterstown every hour. Tens of passenger pass through Killarney.

Levy all the tourist businesses in Killarney to pay for the staffing of the station. If it will affect business that much, they will share the cost.

The major difference between Killarney and the Dublin commuter stations is that most of the passengers going to Killarney are tourists, many of who require information as they are unlikely to be familiar with the local area.

Also, unlike the commuters the passengers at Killarney are after getting a long-distance (almost 4 hours) Intercity train from Dublin, they have also paid around 70euros to get there.

Also, a six carraige Intercity train carries around 480 passengers

Judgement Day

DWCommuter wrote: »

I despise CIE and all it stands for, but I also despise the local gombeenism political bull**** that parades through this country as if they think they are relevent.



It is more than a ticket office. Its a station that has trains running into and out of it.

He's obviously living in the days of the Tod Andrews playtex wearing train hostess that would probably wipe your arse if you spoke with an American accent. I'm sorry JD, but while I disagree with the IE approach to how they run a railway, I also disagree with this notion that the local station is meant to be the centre of some great community project where staff hang around all day scratching their holes and being rude to people.

Tourist : "Where do I get a jaunting car?
IE Staff member: "Outside that door over there...I think"
Tourist: Gee Thanks.

Tourist leaves.

IE Staff member: "Prick!". (Lights up another fag, scratches arse and heads to the jacks with a newspaper.)

I'd prefer to see every station unmanned, because I find the quality of what they are manned with to be utterly useless. Give me easily accessible vending machines with clear and concise signage, clean toilets, punctual trains and Im happy. But IE cant even do that right either!

DW - it depresses me to agree with you but it is true that your excellent depiction of what passes for customer service on CIE/IE is a realistic portrayal with which I'm only too familiar. My problem is that I look at the way things could/should be and probably have watched far too many episodes of "The Railway Children" and the "Flockton Flyer". Good customer service on CIE/IE is actually something I have little experience of and the good experiences stand out as they have been so few and far between.
I'm a bit like Dev with his comely maidens dancing at the crossroads - In my mind I see stations thronged with happy, satisfied passengers, and smart well mannered staff busy looking after the passengers, the station and unloading parcels/mail/day old chicks etc. Buffets where the weary traveller can have a cup of tea (or lashings of ginger beer) and a sandwich. Goods yards busy with the coming and goings of local traders collecting and despatching goods. In other words a railway at the heart of the community and relevant to it.
In reality I have never experienced this in Ireland and I suspect that the last railway here to be remotely like that was the Co.Donegal system. I have experienced the railway at its best for passengers in Britain, albeit only on preserved lines such as the West Somerset, Festinog, Keighley & Worth Valley, Severn Valley etc. There, buffets are well stocked, pleasant places to pause a while in , and buffet cars are designed with the passenger in mind. Staff are proud of their uniform and helpful and the whole thing is customer orientated. One can only dream as the Railway Age in Ireland staggers towards the Abyss.

penexpers

I have a vague recollection that the tourist office in Killarney is ~2 minutes walk from the train station. Maybe I am wrong. In any case, I would like to know where he is getting the 40% figure from.

Ham'nd'egger

penexpers wrote: »

I have a vague recollection that the tourist office in Killarney is ~2 minutes walk from the train station. Maybe I am wrong. In any case, I would like to know where he is getting the 40% figure from.

His pen ran out of ink before he could write 90%;)

foggy_lad

JD I am brewing another batch of ginger beer for you as I type:-)

highlydebased

I used the train into Killarney a few times last summer, most passengers were Americans, almost all of them going on to Heuston