Alcohol consumption, drug-taking, vaping, playing loud music among Irish Rail passenger complaints

Alcohol consumption and drunkenness are the anti-social behaviours most complained about by Irish Rail customers on Dart, commuter and intercity services.

They are followed closely by drug-taking, smoking/vaping and abusive, racist, intimidating or threatening behaviour, according to complaints lodged via text message over three months to the middle of last month.

The playing of music, podcasts or videos at loud volumes is also a significant concern for passengers.

Lewd behaviour, dogs on trains, dog “poo”, feet on seats, and arguments about passengers taking already booked seats also feature but not as frequently. And passengers reported on others who “sneaked” on trains with no tickets.

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The complaints were among 686 messages sent to Irish Rail’s anti-social behaviour text service between November 1st, 2023, and February 12th, 2024.

A series of texts sent from the Portlaoise to Dublin service said: “Very drunk man in carriage A from Portlaoise to Dublin at 15:40 shouting and hitting things on the train, has scared a child who is now crying on [the] train.”

“Belligerent drunk. Won’t stop talking to my children and keep to himself.”

One concerned Dart user texted “Girl in carriage not well — homeless possible intoxication/mental health issues: seems a bit distressed: wanting to urinate in [the] carriage.”

An incident was reported on the northbound Dart at Dún Laoghaire at lunchtime: “A drunk man drinking wine poured wine all over a girl and was hassling other women.”

“Three men openly consuming and snorting what is clearly drugs on carriage in open view,” said a passenger on a southbound Dart.

A northbound Dart passenger texted: “Bunch of young kids around 15 blowing vapes” in people’s faces “and refusing to stop when asked”.

Another passenger reported: “Dart at Killester to Bray — youths with hoods up to no good.” While on the Sligo to Dublin train a “group of young lads (no older than 15) trashing the toilet between carriages” was reported.

[ Dart nightmare: ‘I was trapped, stuck and scared’ ]

A Dublin to Drogheda passenger texted: “Lads, these guys are wrecking the train here. Punching and kicking doors.”

The service received several texts about lewd behaviour including: “A man videoing me while masturbating” and “there is a man masturbating and watching porn in carriage B of the Portarlington to Heuston service”.

Another text on the Dublin to Drogheda train read: “Two junkies shooting up in train toilet, now having sex in toilet in carriage 29212.″

A passenger reported another who got off the Dart at Booterstown “exposing his bare arse to young girls and insisting to sit beside them, asking what age they were”.

On the Dublin to Galway service a texter reported: “Bunch of kids hurling racial abuse at Asian people and participating in anti-social” behaviour.

Dogs also featured in complaints. One passenger texted: On the Dart at Clontarf “man with dangerous dog (a white pit bull) which had no muzzle on acted like a psycho towards me when I moved my leg”.

And on the Dart at Killiney “there is a dog poo in the seats at the north end of the carriage”.

Problems with booked tickets also featured with complaints about passengers refusing to move from booked seats with behaviour “escalating to violence”.

The text service has been in place since August 2019 and the text content was released under Freedom of Information legislation.

An Irish Rail spokesman encouraged passengers to text TRAIN followed by details of the incident, location and service.

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