Readers of the site may be aware of an incident that took place last year where a number of DARTs were delayed in the vicinity of Bray, Co. Wicklow, leading to passengers taking the initiative to exit the train.
Due to the safety aspects of this, the Railway Accident Investigation Unit (RAIU) of the Department of Transport conducted an investigation into same and its report was published today.
Normally, I wouldn’t comment on these – the investigations are fact gathering in nature (not being a trial) and as a result, tend to be very anodyne affairs. However, one line in the report, under “Systematic Factors” (on Page 5) caught my eye:
IÉ standards and training refer to “customer-friendly” communications; however, this “customer-friendly” approach to dealing with passengers, in particular, passengers in distress (where it is of utmost importance) was not evident on the day.
RAIU Report – Self-detrainment of passengers between Shankill & Bray, 24th July 2022
As comments in an RAIU report go, this is a slap for Irish Rail.