A note from Iarnród Éireann Chief Executive re Continuation of Services

Dear Customer,

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting every aspect of life here in Ireland, and internationally.


I know it as a time of great uncertainty and concern for you and your loved ones, as it is for all of us in Iarnród Éireann also.

To support the country’s efforts in tackling COVID-19, Iarnród Éireann’s team of almost 4,000 people are focused on delivering your services and maintaining the network, and the necessary contingency measures for those services during current and future phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout this, we are working with the National Transport Authority and other public transport operators, and will be guided at all times by the advice of our healthcare professionals, to whom we all owe such a debt.

We are operating all services, and will continue to do so unless public policy or the advice of health professionals chang​es, or unless our workforce is impacted to an extent which makes service reduction unavoidable.  By operating all services we can:

• Ensure that healthcare workers, and other workers for essential services can travel – including those members of our own workforce who are needed to keep trains running and the network operating

• Ensure those assisting isolated or vulnerable members of the community can travel

• Facilitate social distancing by maximising services, and the capacity on those services

We are cleaning stations and trains in line with advice received by our health authorities, and we are focusing on areas like door buttons, grab handles, tables, ticket machines etc with which customers and staff come into most regular contact.

We are planning contingency measures to ensure service continuity, and diverting people and resources to supporting this.

We are making it easier for you to change or cancel your bookings if you decide not to travel or if your travel plans are altered: all Intercity journeys – including Low Fare and Semi-Flex – will, until further notice, be eligible for free cancellation or alteration without any penalty up to 90 minutes before departure.  For journeys booked from today, this can be done at www.irishrail.ie – for Low Fare or Semi-Flex journeys booked earlier, please submit your refund application via Contact us on our website.

 

We also want to ask you for your support – you can help us to support the health authorities’ goal of flattening the curve of the spread of COVID-19 by:

Considering if your journey is necessary – this helps to limit social interaction as our health authority experts have recommended, and facilitates greater social distancing on board. Remote working is in place in many workplaces, including our own administrative functions

Following the hygiene advice of the health authorities, particularly in relation to hand washing, and coughing or sneezing into a tissue or elbow

Reducing cash handling between customers and staff: where possible, please pay using Leap Card, book online and collect at ticket vending machines, pay at ticket vending machines, or pay using payment cards

Maintaining social distancing with other customers and staff: numbers travelling have reduced dramatically which is enabling customers to maintain social distancing, but we will continue to monitor demand, and liaise with our health authorities should further measures be necessary to ensure social distancing 

We thank you for your cooperation, and ask you to take care of your health and that of others in the weeks and months ahead.

 

Jim Meade,

Chief Executive

Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail