Sexual harassment, verbal abuse, drug use and assault reported by Laois rail users

Sexual harassment, theft, assault, verbal abuse, organised begging and open drug use have all been reported by rail users in Laois in the past 18 months. 

The incidents were all documented in a Freedom of Information response from Irish Rail/Iarnrod Eireann to the Leinster Express/Laois Live.

The request sought details of complaints relating to behaviour in or around Portlaoise, Portarlington and Ballybrophy Train Stations in the past 18 months.

Although the names of the individuals who made the complaints are redacted and the complaints aren’t dated, they contain specific details of incidents endured by rail customers in Laois. 

These included reports of a man taking a girl's hand without her consent while “talking about his balls” while another incident outlined how a man “wearing fake boobs” was making inappropriate comments to young women. 

There are details of people smoking heroin, throwing objects, sitting with a blade and a box of drugs and using nitrous oxide on the service. Verbal abuse, vaping and anti-social behaviour are all recorded, as is an incident where a person was spat on while waiting for a train. 

“I just want to make you aware of the behaviour on the 20:20 train from Heuston to Portlaoise this evening. There was a group of four individuals sitting in one of the booths beside me with a lunch box full of drugs, a blade and a crack pipe… there can be kids and underaged people on this train… It is also a terrible image to tourists of our country when visiting when they see this type of behaviour especially a blade out on the table,” one commuter wrote. 

Another complaint said: “I was on the 19:45 Heuston/Portlaoise service today Tuesday, 4th April. There was a man onboard station Hazelhatch/Celbridge, he approached me and my two friends and began talking to us. We are 20 year old females and so we immediately felt uncomfortable. He complimented my jacket and told me how his breasts were fake. He then commented ‘but yours are real, they are very big'. This made me very uncomfortable and my friend and I exited the train. He then sat down across from my other friend and she told me that he held her hands against her will and started talking about his balls'. I am a daily commuter on Irish Rail suburban services and I have never felt unsafe onboard a train until today. It was a very scary experience and I feel very uncomfortable about what happened. Additionally, I saw rail security get off the train at Hazelhatch/Celbridge, and yet this man who was sexually harassing young girls was not apprehended? I hope something can be done about this In future.” 

“I see groups of young people and teens on Portlaoise service smoking and harassing passengers especially In evening and night time and don't see much done ... Please assist,” another passenger wrote. 

“I have been commuting from Portlaoise to Dublin on a daily basis since March and as I work in hospitality, most nights on the last train. Over the last few weeks, I have found the trains to be full of rowdy, loud, aggressive people and no security whatsoever,”  another passenger  wrote.

A number of the complaints detail begging on the train with people mentioned organised beggars using the network. These included people leaving notes on tables asking for money. 

One passenger wrote that a “guy was handing out tissues with a note stating he needs to pay his rent and I found on my train home from Dublin to Portlaoise the same guy was up to his tricks. He demanded money once tissues were opened I think you have huge problems.”  

“I was on the 6.05pm train from Heuston to Portlaoise yesterday. I was sitting behind/across from three young men on the train. They were vaping and very loud. They threw a toilet roll which hit a pregnant lady and they ducked down in their seats. She was very annoyed and told them. They got noisy and were on the defensive and this continued. one of the youths moved from the seat in front of me and a man who was sitting beside him eventually got him and asked them "to shut the f""" up" as they persisted in annoying the pregnant lady. They were quite Intimidating. The 6.05pm train Is often troublesome,” another passenger complained.  

“While waiting at your Newbridge train station this evening at 18.30 approx, I was confronted by a group of young lads who proceeded to pull at my hair and spit on me. I am a 17 year old student and could not locate anyone for assistance. There was no security or available staff, and it was an Intimidating experience,” a rail user complained. 

Another passenger said: “I noticed a guy trying rob another man's phone while he was sleeping only for his friend seen it and acted quickly he would of been at the loss of his phone.I then watched the guy rob two cans of 7up from the drinks trolley and walk back down the train carriage Like It was his entitlement to rob them. I got up from my seat and I walk down the train looking for security there was none on it an absolute disgrace. I went to the end of the train knocked on the drivers door and the host came out I told him what happened.He said he was on his own and had no security I said I will go with you and point him out we walked back down the train and the guy was moving In between carages and annoying people people were asleep he tried to rob them.He tried to rob a gentleman's Jacket the gentleman stood up to this and stopped him. I felt very sorry for the host as he seemed baffled what to do. Then the scum bag assaulted the host and another passenger I Intervened and held the man down til then train arrived in Portlaoise no guards to be seen. After they were called up to 10 o dock no guards three security guys got on In Portlaoise and held the man down as he was very violent. I know It's not your fault but security should been on the train or stop the man getting on the train If he was Intoxicated or and drugs.” 

SIPTU Transport Sector Organiser John Murphy said he would like to see a dedicated transport police unit and customer charter introduced. He said either a Garda Transport Police unit or a unit similar to the Airport Police should be established. 

Mr Murphy said antisocial behaviour, racist incidents and criminality appear to have increased since the end of lockdown. He said while commitment had been secured from politicians little action has taken place.   

He said an advisory forum including all stakeholders in transport was supposed to have been established when the National Transport Authority(NTA) was established in 2009 but no forum has yet been set up. 

Mr Murphy admitted he wouldn’t want his own wife or daughter to use public transport on their own at certain times. 

He wants to see more done to make the services safer, in particular for women both employed in the sector and using public transport. 

According to Irish Rail, security services have increased by 60% in the last six years. 

“There are now sixteen Garda Response Hubs in operation across the Iarnród Éireann Intercity network. Their establishment has had a significant impact on crime and antisocial behaviour interventions, improving response and intervention times and reducing delays to services. There are another seven Garda Response Hubs proposed,” Irish Rail stated in its Customer Safety and Security report.  

Irish Rail said the new Garda operating model “Community Engagement Areas” has released Garda resources.