New DART Improved Accessibility Pilot

James Shields · 05-02-2018, 12:34

This sounds like an improvement on the current situation, but doesn't go nearly far enough. Four hours notice to take a local Dublin trip is really not acceptable.

If a wheelchair user commutes to work, do they need to give four hours notice that they're coming to work every day? I don't think IÉ understand that a wheelchair might want to lead a normal life that the rest of us can take for granted.

I have a friend in Brey who is a wheelchair user, and she frequently gets stuck on trains when staff forget to ring ahead and inform her destination station, or the staff at the destination fail to follow the instruction.

It seems outragous to me that when every train platform in the country was rebuild in the last twenty years or so, we still don't have level access between platforms and trains. Luas trams are level access from platforms and are properly accessible (I realise they don't have the legacy problems of the rail network).

Buses have automatic deploying ramps. Is there any reason these couldn't also be on trains?

I realise that making our rail network fully accessible will cost a lot of money and that IÉ can't be expected to foot the entire bill.

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05-02-2018, 12:34	#4
James Shields Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Drogheda, Ireland Posts: 1,275	This sounds like an improvement on the current situation, but doesn't go nearly far enough. Four hours notice to take a local Dublin trip is really not acceptable. If a wheelchair user commutes to work, do they need to give four hours notice that they're coming to work every day? I don't think IÉ understand that a wheelchair might want to lead a normal life that the rest of us can take for granted. I have a friend in Brey who is a wheelchair user, and she frequently gets stuck on trains when staff forget to ring ahead and inform her destination station, or the staff at the destination fail to follow the instruction. It seems outragous to me that when every train platform in the country was rebuild in the last twenty years or so, we still don't have level access between platforms and trains. Luas trams are level access from platforms and are properly accessible (I realise they don't have the legacy problems of the rail network). Buses have automatic deploying ramps. Is there any reason these couldn't also be on trains? I realise that making our rail network fully accessible will cost a lot of money and that IÉ can't be expected to foot the entire bill.