Almost 3,500 rail passengers in and out of Cork were forced to make alternative travel arrangements yesterday as the dispute in Iarnrod Eireann continued.
A spokesman at Kent Station said passenger numbers had been drastically curtailed because of the dispute, which has reduced the number of mainland services between Cork and Dublin to two trains a day instead of seven.
Yesterday the early-morning services to Dublin were cancelled, and it was mid-afternoon before the first train left Cork. Travellers switching to bus services have found that increased pressure on Bus Eireann has made it almost impossible for the company to accommodate the stranded rail passengers.
The Midlands
Hundreds of rail commuters experienced travel difficulties again yesterday as the unofficial rail dispute continued.
The hardest-hit area was Portlaoise where the Cork-Dublin services was almost halved by the dispute and left commuters seeking alternative ways to reach the capital.
The Garda in Portlaoise reported increased traffic as many people took their cars to work due to heavy pressure on Bus Eireann.
In Mullingar, where there had been difficulties on Monday, there was a normal service to and from the city, but services were curtailed on the Dublin-Galway line which takes in Tullamore, Portarlington and Athlone.
- Sean MacConnell
Limerick
Train services from Limerick showed a marked improvement yesterday. Mr Jim Gallivan, business development manager at Colbert Station, said there had been a significant improvement, with seven out of 10 trains from Limerick to Dublin operating and six out of 10 of the Dublin-Limerick trains running.
The twice-daily service from Ennis was also operating, although engineering works on the line have led to passengers being transferred to a bus for the 1.30 p.m. departure.
- Eibhir Mulqueen