Catering services on Tullamore to Dublin/Galway trains unlikely to return
Offaly commuters will be disappointed
Commuters travelling to and from Tullamore to Dublin or Galway will be disappointed that the return of the catering trolley looks unlikely.
At a meeting with Huge Creegan, acting CEO of the National Transport Authority and the Oireachtas Transport Committee. Mr Creegan said that the position was that funding is not available to support a catering service at the moment. He said there are so many demands on the budget. The catering service is loss-making and needs to be subsidised.
''Therefore do you put in the catering service and use up your subsidy for that or do a Local Link service in another county and that's what the decision comes down to,'' he said.
In relation to the provision of vending machines, Mr Creegan said that they would either have to remove seats or a toilet to allow for that and they cannot afford to do either.
The catering trolley was removed during Covid and never returned.
Hopes had been high that catering services might soon return especially for early morning commuters.
In a statement from Irish rail in April this year, they said, ''the tender process for catering services for the national network has progressed and is at an advanced stage, with costs established. Any contract award is subject to NTA funding, and this is with the National Transport Authority for funding decision.''
However, following the meeting between the NTA and the Oireachtas Committee on Transport this now seems unlikely.
The number of passengers commuting to and from Tullamore and Clara is on the rise.
Figures from Irish Rail reveal that in 2023 there were 420,356 journeys made from Tullamore station. In 2024 that figure rose to 457,708 an increase of almost 9%.
24 additional services have been added since last August. Four Monday to Friday and two on Saturdays and Sundays.
Previously there were 185 services per week from Tullamore railway station. Now there are 209.
In 2023 there were 68,558 journeys made to and from Clara. In 2024 that figure rose to 81,532 an increase of almost 19%.
Clara gained an additional 19 services per week since the timetable change last August. The station has gone from 144 to 163 services per week.