[stevetee]

Minutes of meeting at Heuston 5.45pm

Attendees: Claire Blennerhasset, Brendan Dunne, Steve Tee ( all MRUG) , Myles McHugh (IE)

MRUG felt the meeting between Myles McHugh (MMc) on behalf of IE and MRUG was productive

Main points raised and discussed:

(1) there is no threat to the current timetable. The current service will stay as is and reports of a station closure are unfounded.

(2) MMc agreed the gaps in the timetable for Monasterevin are glaringly obvious and require addressing within planning restrictions.

(3) the new 10.00pm service was acknowledged by MRUG as a welcome start. This set a positive tone for the rest of meeting.

(4) Other proposed service changes

- a third peak time service from Euston in the evening is a definite possibility (possibly the 18.35 Thurles train )

- the off peak every 2hrs (even) was discussed in the context of the Portlaoise depot. IE havent yet got the full complement of new trains in service but the odds are stacked in our favour for additional off peak stopping services given (1) the delay in issuing the new 2009 timetable and (2) the continued roll out and subsequent demand for servicing of all new trains at Portlaoise.

(5) MMc to arrange a visit to Monasterevin station with the area manager (Portlaoise) to inspect the station. MRUG brought up some of the main issues - lifts not working, no indication of when station is manned/unmanned, ticket machine, state of waiting areas, general inhospitable atmosphere at station and proposed that IE/MRUG partner to maintain the station. Myles will get back to MRUG with his findings in due course.

(5) Didnt discuss weekend services.

(6) Didnt mention the state of the car parking which we feel should be free to attract people back to using the station.

(7) We also mentioned the KCC Town plan that includes better signage indicating location of train station, better access indications from all points in the town via bicycle paths, footpaths etc. It is MRUGs position that a relaunch of the train station is required once we have some concrete improvements (new evening service notwithstanding) to underpin a relaunch. (Dropping the car parking charges would help us promote the use of the services big time.)

MMc broadly welcomed the arrival of a new Users Group to the fold and said that it was really the only way to focus on issues affecting customers at coal face. He looked forward to meeting us again in due course.

MRUG awaiting IEs feedback on all of the above issues.

Steve

PS (left this one off the original document)

One I forgot to put into the minutes was the 21.00 service heading up to Dublin from Thurles. Weve asked IE to consider adding Monasterevin to the list of stops for this service as well. It will allow anyone travelling from Cork to alight at Portarlington, catch the 21.00 from Thurles and get off at Monasterevin 5 minutes later. It will then be possible to travel from Monasterevin to Cork and back in a single day ( should you so desire).