Nolan highlights "consistent delays" on Tullamore to Dublin train line

Newly re-elected Offaly TD Carol Nolan has criticised the volume of delays being experienced by train commuters travelling between Tullamore and Dublin.

In a statement today (Wednesday), the Independent Dáil deputy said she was engaging with Iarnród Éireann, the National Transport Authority, and the Department of Transport on the matter.

She said the concerns had been flagged with her by a number of constituents, some of whom, despite taking earlier trains to avoid such delays, were still not arriving at work on time.

An expansion of the rail timetable in this area was announced in August, with additional services to accommodate passengers travelling between Tullamore and Dublin on the Galway to Heuston line.

"Expansion of the Intercity service and an increased timetabling of available trains running from Tullamore was always badly needed and is very welcome; but we need that service to operate efficiently on a consistent basis," said Deputy Nolan.

"There is little point in having a commuter service that cannot fulfil the basic function of getting people, who are in many cases forced to seek work in Dublin and elsewhere, to their jobs or appointments on time.

"I do not want to overstate the problem, but I do think that the people of Offaly deserve and need a consistently reliable service and that is what I will be pushing for in my representations on the matter.

"We need to understand why these delays appear to be happening on a routine basis and what can be done about it so that the people travelling from Tullamore can actually plan and rely on the service, which as I say, is badly needed," concluded the TD, who topped the poll in Offaly at last Friday's general election.