Minister O’Brien welcomes reduced notice at major Iarnród Éireann stations for accessibility assistance

13 May 2025

Fifteen stations now see assistance guaranteed one hour in advance, part of range of accessibility improvements

Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien TD today joined with Iarnród Éireann Chief Executive Jim Meade and members of the company’s Disability Users Group to mark improved assistance arrangements for customers with disabilities at fifteen of the country’s busiest Intercity stations.

Following a successful pilot over recent months, the advised notice for assistance has been reduced from 12 hours to one hour at the stations below, allowing customers to arrive and arrange assistance or book in advance.

The stations cover almost every terminus station on the network, as well as key interchange points such as Limerick Junction, Mallow and Athlone, and represent nearly 60% of all assistance requests received.

The company will provide assistance wherever possible without notice, but advises notice to ensure trains can be scheduled to call at accessible platforms en route where required.

A total of 54,000 Customers with a disability were assisted in 2024.

Reducing notice periods is a central priority for Iarnród Éireann to facilitate access to rail services for customers with disabilities.  DART and Commuter services have four-hour advised notice, and other Intercity stations 12 hours, both below the EU Directive of 24-36 hours, and a range of initiatives are in place or underway to allow further improvements. 

These include:

• Customer Service Officers on all Intercity trains, to ensure assistance is available.
• The new DART+ fleet, entering service from 2026, has a retractable step at every door to address the gap between train and platform, and will facilitate independent access for many customers with disabilities. A total of 185 carriages are on order, with further orders planned as the DART+ Programme continues.
• Platform modification works will take place at thirteen stations to support independent access where served by the DART+ fleet.
• The Station Accessibility Programme is a continuing investment in stations with one or more inaccessible platform, introducing new bridges with lifts to ensure all platforms are accessible. Works being completed this year include at Rathmore, Maynooth, Athy and Rathdrum Stations, with planning underway for Boyle, Claremorris, Dromod, Longford, Rushbrooke and Wicklow Stations, and pre-planning commenced at a further fifteen stations.
• The Big Lift programme saw investment in existing lifts at 52 stations across the network between 2020 and 2024, significantly improving lift reliability. The LiftCall system is also in place at most station lifts, ensuring live monitored access and preventing vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
• Three stations (Connolly, Heuston and Limerick’s Colbert Station) have been equipped with Changing Places toilets.

The company’s investment programme for DART+ and accessibility initiatives is funded by the National Transport Authority.

In addition, Iarnród Éireann is engaging with representative bodies and enhancing training for rail staff to ensure a better understanding of the needs of customers with disabilities, including hidden disabilities, and to improve customer service for all who travel by train.  Initiatives and partnerships include:

• All customer-facing colleagues are receiving new accessibility training with Vision Ireland’s groundbreaking Wayfinding Centre, which includes a disused DART carriage provided by Iarnród Éireann to support practical training developed and delivered with users of public transport who have disabilities.
• Sign-language training has commenced with on-board Customer Service staff.
• Dementia awareness training has taken place with staff in Cork, Heuston and DART.
• Epilepsy training has taken place for DART staff, and this will be extended network-wide in 2025.
• Over 5,000 Sensory Packs have been distributed to customers with additional needs, to facilitate a more comfortable journey.
• Customer Accessibility Solution being procured to allow Customers to book electronically, on-demand and/or via Smartphones, to have automatic and immediate acknowledgement of their request along with regular updates as the request is progressed through assignment, fulfilment and post-fulfilment.
• Jam Card training provided to 1600 customer-facing staff.
• Wayfinding solutions to improve the customer experience for customers with a disability.

Iarnród Éireann Chief Executive Jim Meade said of today’s announcement “improving our service to customers with disabilities is a continuous process, and a critical one.  As we expand and develop our rail service, the benefits must be available to all customers who wish to use rail in Ireland.  Our Disability Users Group provide us with the insights needed to ensure all investment and service improvements have the needs of customers with disabilities incorporated.  We are also grateful for the support of the National Transport Authority, and Minister O’Brien and his team in the Department of Transport in helping us to deliver a range of improvements.”

Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien TD said “This is very welcome news regarding the improvements being made for customers with disabilities. The Government remains firmly committed to delivering a step change in the supports and services required by people with disabilities. An Taoiseach has established a dedicated unit within his Department to focus specifically on disability issues.

As Minister for Transport, I want to ensure that all public transport operators provide accessible and inclusive services for every passenger. I will continue to work in partnership with the NTA and all transport providers to ensure that progress in this area is sustained and strengthened.”

National Transport Authority Transport Accessibility Manager, Naomi Rooney said “NTA is delighted to see the reduction of advance notice to one hour at these key stations. These represent nearly 60% of all assistance requests that Iarnród Éireann receives.

One of the National Disability Strategy actions is to reduce advance notice for people travelling on public transport so this is a huge step in reaching that goal and in continuing to improve the accessibility and customer experience for all.”