A woman, trapped in a train for 2½ hours before being found by cleaners, has been awarded €14,500 damages in the Circuit Civil Court.
Ms Margaret Heneghan, counsel for Ms Frances Larkin (22), said her client suffered from a number of disabilities, but had become acquainted with travelling unaccompanied on the DART daily to the Enable Ireland School at Sandymount, Dublin.
She said in July 2001, Ms Larkin, of Ashlawn Park, Ballybrack, Co Dublin, had asked an Irish Rail porter at Dún Laoghaire Station if a train beside the platform was travelling to Sandymount. Ms Larkin had been told it would stop there and had taken a seat in the carriage.
"Apparently, after the doors closed, the out of service sign came up and the train did not stop until it arrived at its garage at Pearse Street Station," Ms Heneghan said.
She told Judge Alison Lindsay the doors did not open and Ms Larkin, the only passenger, remained trapped for 2½ hours until cleaners arrived to clean out the train.
"They released her after finding her in a very distressed condition and took her to the general manager's office where she was well looked after until special arrangements were made for her journey home," Ms Heneghan said.
Mr Gerard O'Herlihy, solicitor for Irish Rail, told the court the company had made a settlement offer of €14,500 to Ms Larkin. The claim had been brought on Ms Larkin's behalf by her mother.
Judge Lindsay approved the offer and directed that the money be paid out to Ms Larkin's mother, Mrs Ann Larkin, for her daughter's benefit.