PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE IARNRÓD ÉIREANN TIMETABLE CONSULTATION
The National rail timetable is currently being reviewed — and there’s an opportunity to have your say.
I’ve just submitted a response to the Iarnród Éireann timetable consultation as part of the Connect the west campaign.
My submission highlights something I think is being missed: the proposed changes are mostly small adjustments of a minute or two, while there are much bigger gaps in the timetable that affect whether people can actually use the train for work, education, healthcare, family life and culture.
For example:
• The first Dublin → Sligo train currently doesn't arrive until around 10:16, making morning appointments, education and work difficult.
• The first Saturday service arrives around 12:19.
• The last Dublin → Sligo train leaves Dublin at 19:30, meaning people travelling from the Northwest often have to leave evening events, work or cultural activities early.
The Connect the West petition has now reached 4,830 signatures, so there is clearly a strong public interest in better connectivity.
If you live along the Dublin–Sligo route, use the consultation to tell Iarnród Éireann what you need from the timetable.
You don't need to write a long submission. Your own experience is useful.
You could say something like:
“I would like to see an earlier morning service from Dublin to Sligo, particularly at weekends, and a later evening service from Dublin to Sligo. The current timetable makes it difficult to travel for work, education, healthcare, social and cultural activities. Please consider these gaps as part of the wider timetable review.”
Or, even better, tell them your own story — where you need to travel, what time you need to arrive or return, and what the current timetable prevents you from doing.
The more people who make specific, practical points, the harder it is for these issues to be dismissed as simply a request for “more trains”.
Have your say while the consultation is open.
If you submit something, feel free to comment below with what you asked for. I'd be interested to see what people along the route actually need.