3 days ago
‘The pandemic is over' cry fuming Irish Rail passengers as they demand return of popular service
SOME Irish Rail passengers are demanding the return of a popular service that has not returned since the pandemic.
Trolley services on Irish
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Irish Rail passengers are demanding the return of trolley services
Credit: Alamy
Once featured on trains across the country, the trolley offered hot drinks, snacks and
However, in March 2020 the service was suspended due to the pandemic.
And several years on, the majority of train routes still remain without the trolley services.
Taking to
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She said: 'The pandemic is over. Bring back the café and trolley services on the rest of the trains, please'
The Cork to
By May of that year, the service was operating on all weekday and Sunday trains between the two cities.
The Dublin to
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Yet beyond those two routes, the trolley remains absent from much of Ireland's rail network.
Passengers on routes such as Galway, Limerick,
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In 2022, the previous provider RailGourmet withdrew from the contract due to rising costs and difficulties in maintaining staffing levels.
This had left Irish Rail without a catering operator until the service returned on some long-haul routes.
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Irish Rail had previously said it plans to bring catering back to all Intercity routes by the end of 2024, but this is yet to come into effect.
Meanwhile, a major change at the island of Ireland's largest train station that's "bigger than two football pitches" is set to come into effect in months.
Grand Central Station in
The new move comes after criticism from the Irish language community that the station, opened in September last year, did not include any Irish language signage.
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Minister Liz Kimmins has said that bilingual displays would include signage on ticket vending machines and passenger information.
She announced the new move in the
The minister said: "I am committed to the visibility and promotion of Irish language across public services and in our society.
"Grand Central Station is not just for the people of Belfast, it is a transport hub for people right across the island and it's important therefore that it is reflective of all citizens.
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"I've therefore taken the decision to install bilingual signage in Belfast Grand Central Station, and on all Translink's ticket vending machines.
"This is an important and positive development to demonstrate my support for the Irish language as a living language, which is used daily by citizens across the north."
