Irish Rail- Worst Service Ever 2018

Elle2018 · 04-12-2018 8:26pm #1

I was a frequent user of Irish Rail, but after what I experienced on October 26th 2018, I will never set foot on one of your trains. I pre-booked my seat and paid in advance for my seat to be able to travel in ''comfort'' as all your advertisements suggest. Instead I arrived to see yet again a que out of the station. Rather that prioritise those who had pre-booked it was a free for all on the train. People standing for a whole 2 and a half hour journey from Galway to Dublin, surely a health and safety concern for those travelling the whole distance. This was not the most concerning issue. I arrived to my seat to find it occupied by another passager who at first refused to move. After pointing out he eventually let me in. The gentleman in Question was clearly drunk. To make it worse he had soiled himself. So I had the glorious pleasure of sitting beside this gentleman for the next 2+ hours whilst he smells of **** and drinks cans getting more and more drunk...

I contacted Irish Rail to give them a chance to resolve this issue, seven weeks have passed now and I have heard sweet FA from them. I have been waiting eleven days for a manager to contact me.
Dear Irish Rail keep your €18 voucher, I won't be setting a foot on one of your disgusting trains ever again .

Congratulations Irish Rail top quality service!!

Truckermal · 04-12-2018 8:31pm

This is Boards.ie not Irish Rail they do not have any representatives on this site.

Del.Monte · 04-12-2018 9:07pm

A likely tale OP, you really sat for 2.5 hours beside someone who had soiled themselves. Righty..it takes all sorts. :rolleyes:

end of the road · 04-12-2018 9:24pm

Elle2018 wrote: »

I was a frequent user of Irish Rail, but after what I experienced on October 26th 2018, I will never set foot on one of your trains. I pre-booked my seat and paid in advance for my seat to be able to travel in ''comfort'' as all your advertisements suggest. Instead I arrived to see yet again a que out of the station. Rather that prioritise those who had pre-booked it was a free for all on the train. People standing for a whole 2 and a half hour journey from Galway to Dublin, surely a health and safety concern for those travelling the whole distance. This was not the most concerning issue. I arrived to my seat to find it occupied by another passager who at first refused to move. After pointing out he eventually let me in. The gentleman in Question was clearly drunk. To make it worse he had soiled himself. So I had the glorious pleasure of sitting beside this gentleman for the next 2+ hours whilst he smells of **** and drinks cans getting more and more drunk...

I contacted Irish Rail to give them a chance to resolve this issue, seven weeks have passed now and I have heard sweet FA from them. I have been waiting eleven days for a manager to contact me.
Dear Irish Rail keep your €18 voucher, I won't be setting a foot on one of your disgusting trains ever again .

Congratulations Irish Rail top quality service!!

issues over reserved seating are a common occurrence it seems. no staff on most of the trains. standing is unfortunate but it is an occurrence on rail services across the world, especially at rush hour. irish rail can certainly do better in terms of onboard issues and their capacity management could be better but there is a shortage of stock currently.
as said though there is no IE representative on here if your aim was to talk to one. keep contacting them via email though and don't let the issue go.

Hilly Bill · 04-12-2018 10:11pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

A likely tale OP, you really sat for 2.5 hours beside someone who had soiled themselves. Righty..it takes all sorts. :rolleyes:

That's what Bertie Basset said

.

Hilly Bill · 04-12-2018 10:19pm

Elle2018 wrote: »

I was a frequent user of Irish Rail, but after what I experienced on October 26th 2018, I will never set foot on one of your trains. I pre-booked my seat and paid in advance for my seat to be able to travel in ''comfort'' as all your advertisements suggest. Instead I arrived to see yet again a que out of the station. Rather that prioritise those who had pre-booked it was a free for all on the train. People standing for a whole 2 and a half hour journey from Galway to Dublin, surely a health and safety concern for those travelling the whole distance. This was not the most concerning issue. I arrived to my seat to find it occupied by another passager who at first refused to move. After pointing out he eventually let me in. The gentleman in Question was clearly drunk. To make it worse he had soiled himself. So I had the glorious pleasure of sitting beside this gentleman for the next 2+ hours whilst he smells of **** and drinks cans getting more and more drunk...

I contacted Irish Rail to give them a chance to resolve this issue, seven weeks have passed now and I have heard sweet FA from them. I have been waiting eleven days for a manager to contact me.
Dear Irish Rail keep your €18 voucher, I won't be setting a foot on one of your disgusting trains ever again .

Congratulations Irish Rail top quality service!!

Firstly, i sympathise with you. Secondly, apart from offering an apology, how did you want them to resolve it? Thirdly, would the €18 voucher be the answer to my second question? Fourthly, how did a drunk man who had soiled himself man manage to get a seat before you did?

Losty Dublin · 05-12-2018 1:37am

You booked a seat and you got your seat. With that in mind can you tell us how is it Irish Rails fault if a passenger was drunk or that he soiled himself and exactly how this gets you a refund?

gwalk · 05-12-2018 8:53am

Pure Facebook mummy rant..

hope your ok hun

rebel456 · 05-12-2018 7:25pm

Elle2018 wrote: »

I was a frequent user of Irish Rail, but after what I experienced on October 26th 2018, I will never set foot on one of your trains. I pre-booked my seat and paid in advance for my seat to be able to travel in ''comfort'' as all your advertisements suggest. Instead I arrived to see yet again a que out of the station. Rather that prioritise those who had pre-booked it was a free for all on the train. People standing for a whole 2 and a half hour journey from Galway to Dublin, surely a health and safety concern for those travelling the whole distance. This was not the most concerning issue. I arrived to my seat to find it occupied by another passager who at first refused to move. After pointing out he eventually let me in. The gentleman in Question was clearly drunk. To make it worse he had soiled himself. So I had the glorious pleasure of sitting beside this gentleman for the next 2+ hours whilst he smells of **** and drinks cans getting more and more drunk...

I contacted Irish Rail to give them a chance to resolve this issue, seven weeks have passed now and I have heard sweet FA from them. I have been waiting eleven days for a manager to contact me.
Dear Irish Rail keep your €18 voucher, I won't be setting a foot on one of your disgusting trains ever again .

Congratulations Irish Rail top quality service!!

OP, I sympathise with the unfortunate experience you had when travelling on the train.

You haven't mentioned the time of train but October 26th was the Friday of a Bank Holiday weekend. The vast majority of train/bus serves are rammed to capacity with those travelling home or on a break away. Just keep that in mind when travelling in future and maybe avoid travelling on those very busy services if you are uncomfortable with crowds. Irish Rail always advise being at your seat well in advance of the departure time (when possible), just because you have booked ahead does not mean there is a barrier up on your seat. People often sit down anyway without looking at the reservation display, not that it is an excuse, but to avoid having to ask people to move do try to be there as quickly as possible, especially on the busier trains.

Well done on getting an €18 voucher, I am not sure what else you want Irish Rail to do?

Also, no-one was holding you down on that train. You did not have to sit beside a p*ss smelling person if you did not want to. While the alternative may have been to stand, you remaining in that situation of your own accord cannot be the fault of Irish Rail.

Lord Glentoran · 06-12-2018 1:01am

rebel456 wrote: »

OP, I sympathise with the unfortunate experience you had when travelling on the train.

You haven't mentioned the time of train but October 26th was the Friday of a Bank Holiday weekend. The vast majority of train/bus serves are rammed to capacity with those travelling home or on a break away. Just keep that in mind when travelling in future and maybe avoid travelling on those very busy services if you are uncomfortable with crowds. Irish Rail always advise being at your seat well in advance of the departure time (when possible), just because you have booked ahead does not mean there is a barrier up on your seat. People often sit down anyway without looking at the reservation display, not that it is an excuse, but to avoid having to ask people to move do try to be there as quickly as possible, especially on the busier trains.

Well done on getting an €18 voucher, I am not sure what else you want Irish Rail to do?

Also, no-one was holding you down on that train. You did not have to sit beside a p*ss smelling person if you did not want to. While the alternative may have been to stand, you remaining in that situation of your own accord cannot be the fault of Irish Rail.

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I reckon by the time the OP had got that far, they would have got their seat, and their voucher from IR for their trouble.

Result!

Jamie2k9 · 06-12-2018 1:36am

Truckermal wrote: »

This is Boards.ie not Irish Rail they do not have any representatives on this site.

Officially!, they spend plenty of time reading it from all levels...

Hilly Bill · 06-12-2018 1:14pm

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Officially!, they spend plenty of time reading it from all levels...

I doubt it. Don't over estimate the importance of this site.

GM228 · 06-12-2018 1:37pm

Hilly Bill wrote: »

I doubt it. Don't over estimate the importance of this site.

I was at a meeting in the WRC a few years ago involving DB and a discussion came up about social media and chat rooms including Boards.

The DB management, union reps and facilitator had all read certain posts being discussed (in their private time), in other words nobody was surprised by what was raised, we left the meeting with a confirmation that a member of the DB PR team browsed various social media channels as part of their job, I can only assume it is the same in IE and BE and various other organisations.

gwalk · 06-12-2018 1:42pm

GM228 wrote: »

I was at a meeting in the WRC a few years ago involving DB and a discussion came up about social media and chat rooms including Boards.

The DB management, union reps and facilitator had all read certain posts being discussed (in their private time), in other words nobody was surprised by what was raised, we left the meeting with a confirmation that a member of the DB PR team browsed various social media channels as part of their job, I can only assume it is the same in IE and BE and various other organisations.

DB are woeful on social media

blocked me on twitter for asking where my bus was

GM228 · 06-12-2018 1:44pm

gwalk wrote: »

DB are woeful on social media

blocked me on twitter for asking where my bus was

They may not be good at posting, but excellent at reading posts!

phater phagan · 06-12-2018 1:45pm

The OP has a legitimate concern, and has a right to express it, without sarcastic and misogynistic responses from ill-mannered posters.

Amaru976 · 06-12-2018 1:50pm

gwalk wrote: »

DB are woeful on social media

blocked me on twitter for asking where my bus was

HA!!!

gwalk · 06-12-2018 2:02pm

Amaru976 wrote: »

HA!!!

They are a sensitive oul bunch in DB headquarters

dont need them anymore now so their loss

Hilly Bill · 06-12-2018 2:06pm

GM228 wrote: »

I was at a meeting in the WRC a few years ago involving DB and a discussion came up about social media and chat rooms including Boards.

The DB management, union reps and facilitator had all read certain posts being discussed (in their private time), in other words nobody was surprised by what was raised, we left the meeting with a confirmation that a member of the DB PR team browsed various social media channels as part of their job, I can only assume it is the same in IE and BE and various other organisations.

I know those behind the social media accounts and that's all they are monitoring. What gets posted on here is irrelevant.

Hilly Bill · 06-12-2018 2:07pm

gwalk wrote: »

DB are woeful on social media

blocked me on twitter for asking where my bus was

Please tell me that you drive a bus for them 😀.

Jamie2k9 · 06-12-2018 2:25pm

Hilly Bill wrote: »

I know those behind the social media accounts and that's all they are monitoring. What gets posted on here is irrelevant.

I am talking about those further up, IE management and most likely unions keep regular checks on here.

GM228 · 06-12-2018 3:08pm

Hilly Bill wrote: »

I know those behind the social media accounts and that's all they are monitoring. What gets posted on here is irrelevant.

I never said it was relevant, however, as someone who has union involvement and management interaction with various organisations I can confirm the second of Jamie2k9s assertions and would be pretty certain the first is correct also:-

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

I am talking about those further up, IE management and most likely unions keep regular checks on here.

There are several prominent IE, union and WRC staff who I personally know are Boardies (though in a personal capacity), they won't reveal their user names (for good reason), but we do have our suspicions as to whos who.

Del.Monte · 06-12-2018 3:15pm

Years ago I had bundles of printed weekly management newsletters - "Eolas", I think - with every single news item from every newspaper which even vaguely referred to CIE, so I can well believe that they monitor social media including Boards.

Emme · 06-12-2018 3:59pm

phater phagan wrote: »

The OP has a legitimate concern, and has a right to express it, without sarcastic and misogynistic responses from ill-mannered posters.

It is disgraceful that people are allowed drunk onto the train (I have seen it many times) and I don't think alcohol should be served on the train at any time or allowed on to the train. The same applies to drugs. I had the pleasure of a junkie sitting in beside me one evening. He was clearly stoned when he got on the train. During the journey he rolled up his tracksuit bottom (the leg next to me) and proceeded to inject. Luckily I didn't get a needlestick injury but if his hand slipped I might have been looking at a battery of tests including Hepatitis B and HIV.

Some rural train stations are obvious drop off and pick up spots for the "pharmaceutical" trade and I don't mean your local chemist.

Back on topic, I pity the Irish Rail staff who had to clean the seat after that drunk.

I would argue that there isn't the capacity on certain trains to honour seat bookings. Once overcrowding reaches a certain point there are people who will sit in a booked seat regardless. I'm not saying they are right but it happens. Some will move when the passenger who booked it comes along but more won't.

The OP was lucky to get €18 from Irish Rail but having travelled with them for several years the service will get worse before it ever gets better. Doubly incontinent drunks and junkies are par for the course.

phater phagan · 06-12-2018 7:20pm

I was once confronted by a drunken passenger who moved around the carriage trying to talk to people ( most of whom were young women). He then tried to sit with me whilst there were many empty seats in the carriage. I asked him to sit elsewhere and he moved. He then started shouting at me from another part of the carriage, threatening me.
One of the other passengers alerted the staff and two members came and moved him to another section of the train.
It was very annoying, and I'm pretty sure it is a common occurrence on trains - especially during night journeys.
In many other European countries rail systems have police on the trains; France, Switzerland, etc. Why do we not have similar protections in place? I think we are just to complacent to such behaviour in Ireland and authorities are not doing due diligence to stop it.

uncommon_name · 06-12-2018 7:29pm

phater phagan wrote: »

I was once confronted by a drunken passenger who moved around the carriage trying to talk to people ( most of whom were young women). He then tried to sit with me whilst there were many empty seats in the carriage. I asked him to sit elsewhere and he moved. He then started shouting at me from another part of the carriage, threatening me.
One of the other passengers alerted the staff and two members came and moved him to another section of the train.
It was very annoying, and I'm pretty sure it is a common occurrence on trains - especially during night journeys.
In many other European countries rail systems have police on the trains; France, Switzerland, etc. Why do we not have similar protections in place? I think we are just to complacent to such behaviour in Ireland and authorities are not doing due diligence to stop it.

Costs them more money to have security on the trains. They are getting away with it at the minute but I don't think it will be too much longer until they will need security on board.

Infini · 07-12-2018 8:16am

uncommon_name wrote: »

Costs them more money to have security on the trains. They are getting away with it at the minute but I don't think it will be too much longer until they will need security on board.

NBRU have been lookin for transport police for the last while to be fair which many people would probably agree with them on this at least. Problem with drunks is that they do slip in and are a right pain to deal with and blaming IR for the stupid antics of a 3rd party is a bit much as noone has control over them and sometimes dealing with em right now can be even worse.

Honestly train is pretty fine 90% of the time but there is problems with antisocial wasters that ruin things for everyone else.

Emme · 07-12-2018 4:56pm

Infini wrote: »

NBRU have been lookin for transport police for the last while to be fair which many people would probably agree with them on this at least. Problem with drunks is that they do slip in and are a right pain to deal with and blaming IR for the stupid antics of a 3rd party is a bit much as noone has control over them and sometimes dealing with em right now can be even worse.

Honestly train is pretty fine 90% of the time but there is problems with antisocial wasters that ruin things for everyone else.

There is nearly always a bunch of drunks and junkies at the entrance to Heuston Station. It has been going on for years and Irish Rail have done nothing about it.

Infini · 07-12-2018 5:55pm

Emme wrote: »

There is nearly always a bunch of drunks and junkies at the entrance to Heuston Station. It has been going on for years and Irish Rail have done nothing about it.

To be fair if theyre outside the station and not on the property itself its the gardai that are responsible for that.

tabbey · 09-12-2018 12:34am

[QUOTE=phater phagan;108817264
In many other European countries rail systems have police on the trains; France, Switzerland, etc. Why do we not have similar protections in place? I think we are just to complacent to such behaviour in Ireland and authorities are not doing due diligence to stop it.[/QUOTE]

In this state, the Garda Siochana has a monopoly on policing, except perhaps Dublin Port and the airports. Even the Dun Laoghaire harbour police need to get the Garda for arresting people.

Unfortunately there is so much petty crime that GS usually decline to involve themselves in anti-social railway behaviour. Things may improve under the new Garda Commissioner, but that remains to be seen.

If we got a transport police, it would be probably drawn from GS rather than in addition to existing police numbers.

Having said all that, I agree with you, it would be good to have a transport police, or at the very least, give stronger powers to rail and tram security staff.

whisky_galore · 09-12-2018 12:45am

Infini wrote: »

To be fair if theyre outside the station and not on the property itself its the gardai that are responsible for that.

Had a little jaunt around eastern Europe lately, I noticed the police highly visible around rail stations and, well, just about everywhere. One drunken lad wasn't long on the premises when he got hauled off by the scruff of the neck by two policemen. Also noticed the lack of 'scumbag' element who don't pay fares on trams and buses. Plain clothes ticket inspectors that pop out of nowhere quite regularly too.

Jamie2k9 · 09-12-2018 12:57am

Infini wrote: »

To be fair if theyre outside the station and not on the property itself its the gardai that are responsible for that.

Except they are not, they spend most of the time blocking the main entrances and the security or IE are not that interested.

L1011 · 09-12-2018 4:59am

whisky_galore wrote: »

Had a little jaunt around eastern Europe lately, I noticed the police highly visible around rail stations and, well, just about everywhere. One drunken lad wasn't long on the premises when he got hauled off by the scruff of the neck by two policemen. Also noticed the lack of 'scumbag' element who don't pay fares on trams and buses. Plain clothes ticket inspectors that pop out of nowhere quite regularly too.

Strangely enough, the only place I saw the local equivalent of the "scumbag element" in Riga was around the train and bus stations; particularly the long distance bus station element of the station complex.

Transport modes / stations seem to attract undesirables, hence the need for a transport police

whisky_galore · 09-12-2018 10:01am

L1011 wrote: »

Strangely enough, the only place I saw the local equivalent of the "scumbag element" in Riga was around the train and bus stations; particularly the long distance bus station element of the station complex.

Transport modes / stations seem to attract undesirables, hence the need for a transport police

The much loved Prague had hoards of people sleeping rough on park benches, esp near the main station. Every morning there would be streams of p*ss running down the pavements. They seemed to be harmless though, bit of begging but not the in-your-face stalky/aggressive type Dublin panhandling.

Emme · 09-12-2018 10:00pm

Infini wrote: »

To be fair if theyre outside the station and not on the property itself its the gardai that are responsible for that.

They are outside the main station but in the space between the pillars at the front of the station and the transparent doors of the main station. It looks like they are on the property of Heuston station to me but nobody ever goes near them.

tabbey · 09-12-2018 10:50pm

Emme wrote: »

They are outside the main station but in the space between the pillars at the front of the station and the transparent doors of the main station. It looks like they are on the property of Heuston station to me but nobody ever goes near them.

Yes, the space occupied by the 145 bus stop and perhaps even the tram station, was the railed off car parking area (for CIE executives at least) before the advent of Luas.
It is most certainly CIE property.

Emme · 10-12-2018 8:39am

I have just witnessed a situation where a visually impaired man with a white stick sat in a booked seat. He could not have been expected to know it was booked. The woman who booked it angrily asked him to move. The poor man moved and got another seat. I pointed out to her that he was visually impaired. She claimed that she didn't see his white stick which would make me question HER vision. Nobody else on the crowded train seemed to care that a blind man had been kicked out of his seat. The pedants among you will of course say that he should have booked a seat if he wanted to sit on the train.

The Irish Rail seat booking system should not be operational on crowded morning and evening trains. In fact the current system should be scrapped and an alternative system put in place. Cordon off one carriage for booked seats and no more booked seats should be available when that carriage is booked out..

Hilly Bill · 10-12-2018 7:21pm

Emme wrote: »

I have just witnessed a situation where a visually impaired man with a white stick sat in a booked seat. He could not have been expected to know it was booked. The woman who booked it angrily asked him to move. The poor man moved and got another seat. I pointed out to her that he was visually impaired. She claimed that she didn't see his white stick which would make me question HER vision. Nobody else on the crowded train seemed to care that a blind man had been kicked out of his seat. The pedants among you will of course say that he should have booked a seat if he wanted to sit on the train.

The Irish Rail seat booking system should not be operational on crowded morning and evening trains. In fact the current system should be scrapped and an alternative system put in place. Cordon off one carriage for booked seats and no more booked seats should be available when that carriage is booked out..

He doesn't need to book, there are priority seating available..

Emme · 10-12-2018 9:02pm

Hilly Bill wrote: »

He doesn't need to book, there are priority seating available..

There was no priority seating available, it was all taken up.

Jamie2k9 · 10-12-2018 9:06pm

Emme wrote: »

There was no priority seating available, it was all taken up.

They are obliged to move if requested.

Emme · 10-12-2018 9:12pm

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

They are obliged to move if requested.

The people in the priority seats in that carriage were a family with young children and a buggy in the front seats and elderly in the back. I know if I booked a seat and a blind person with a white stick got there before me I would not ask them to move.

Jamie2k9 · 10-12-2018 9:16pm

Emme wrote: »

The people in the priority seats in that carriage were a family with young children and a buggy in the front seats and elderly in the back. I know if I booked a seat and a blind person with a white stick got there before me I would not ask them to move.

Yes there is 12-14 priority seats per carriage....the wheelchair area and the first two rows of two seaters each end of a carriage. Look out for the signs above them in the morning. They are not sold online.

tabbey · 11-12-2018 1:28pm

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

They are obliged to move if requested.

What staff is going to make that request?, most ICRs only have a driver.

goingnowhere · 11-12-2018 1:29pm

Nothing in the bye laws

Hilly Bill · 11-12-2018 4:48pm

tabbey wrote: »

What staff is going to make that request?, most ICRs only have a driver.

The on board CSO

GM228 · 11-12-2018 5:22pm

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

They are obliged to move if requested.

There is no obligation to move from priority seating, they are a courtesy, nothing more.

Hilly Bill wrote: »

The on board CSO

They can ask, but, they can't enforce.

There are very few CSOs nationally, indications are that they will be advertised externally in the new year.

goingnowhere · 11-12-2018 5:37pm

Hilly Bill wrote: »

The on board CSO

Who don't exist despite promises that they would appear in 2017, then 2018 and now early 2019.

The Dublin Cork is a train host not a CSO

Isambard · 11-12-2018 5:38pm

I don't get it. There was a huge queue and a free for all for seats, someone in your seat and you got them to move, and yet there was a spare seat next to yours for him to move to?

First post by a new member, I call shenanigans.

GM228 · 11-12-2018 5:44pm

goingnowhere wrote: »

Who don't exist despite promises that they would appear in 2017, then 2018 and now early 2019.

The Dublin Cork is a train host not a CSO

There's actually about 20 CSOs nationally (and yes they are separate to the host), they have only come on stream very recently, IE want about 150 CSOs and after the current (third attempt) internal recruitment they will be advertising the positions to the general public.

Del.Monte · 11-12-2018 8:27pm

Hilly Bill wrote: »

The on board CSO

Do you mean the ticket checker/seller - frequently nobody on the Rosslare line services.

Jamie2k9 · 11-12-2018 8:37pm

GM228 wrote: »

There's actually about 20 CSOs nationally (and yes they are separate to the host), they have only come on stream very recently, IE want about 150 CSOs and after the current (third attempt) internal recruitment they will be advertising the positions to the general public.

LOL!

Recruiting internally for customer service roles, management must just want to tick boxes rather than meaningful change.

Is the only difference between a host and a CSO a lower pay cheque?

Irish Rail- Worst Service Ever 2018

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