28th August 2015: County Carlow Chamber has today called on Irish Rail to take action and improve accessibility at Carlow Train Station. In a letter issued to Irish Rail the Chamber points out that poor accessibility is having an impact on residents, visitors and workers to the County.
President of County Carlow Chamber, Derek Shannon, said, “Many businesses in our main town and surrounding area have either staff or visitors who rely on the train to get them to Carlow town, often on a daily basis. However the station is not up to standard as regards accessibility. This is a concern for the business and tourism community in Carlow and indeed the wider community. Passengers with mobility issues on a train which pulls into platform two at the train station in Carlow town cannot often cross the footbridge as there are steps and they are quite steep.Essentially if you cannot cross the footbridge, you cannot leave the train station. ”
“We are aware that passengers can contact Irish Rail 24 hours in advance of arriving in Carlow for platform arrangements to be changed or if that is not possible a taxi service can be provided from the next nearest station which is Bagnelstown, a twenty minute drive away. It is unacceptable in 2015 for anyone to worry whether or not the correct the arrangements are in place in order that they can leave the train. It creates a bad impression of Carlow and it causes stress and embarrassment to people who are either visiting the county or commuting to work here.”
He continued, “Irish Rail have previously acknowledged this issue over the years but have not taken any action. The Chamber believes that it is time for this scenario to be addressed have urged Irish Rail to find a solution to this matter.”