Taoiseach Marks Completion of Accessibility Improvements at Tullamore Station

Date: 22 May 2009

TAOISEACH MARKS COMPLETION OF ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS AT TULLAMORE STATION

An Taoiseach Brian Cowen TD today officially opened the new accessibility features at Tullamore Station, part of Iarnród Éireann’s investment programme in accessibility improvements on the Galway-Dublin line.

These improvements are designed to give greater access to those with mobility and sensory impairments as well as offering improved facilities to families travelling with small children and those travelling with heavy baggage.

Improvements include:

- a new footbridge which encompasses fully accessible lifts

- improved external lighting on the footbridge

- Both platforms fitted with tactile strips to assist those with visual impairment

- Platform lighting significantly upgraded

- Induction loops installed on the platform to assist the visually impaired and Help Points also fitted

- Inside the station a split level ticket counter to make obtaining tickets easier for those with mobility impairment, particularly wheelchair users

- The ticket office area is also fitted with induction loops for the hard of hearing

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2……..Tullamore Station accessibility

- A fully accessible toilet has been installed

- Internal surfaces significantly upgraded with slip resistant flooring and colour contrast strips on the walls

- All exterior doors automatic

- A dedicated pedestrian walkway provided from the street to the entrance of the station.

The programme of works have been completed on time and on budget, without disruption to existing passenger services.

Speaking at the opening of the new facilities today, CIÉ and Iarnród Éireann Chairman Dr John Lynch said “by investing in station accessibility, we will ensure that all aspects of the rail travel experience have the highest standards of access. Working with our national Disability Users Group, we’ve developed standards to be included in all station designs – in our new stations, and in improvement works such as those here at Tullamore. This demonstrates that every detail of the customer experience has been studied to ensure we can provide accessibility for all.”

Iarnród Éireann ensures that the company’s record investment programme, funded by the Irish Government under Transport 21, incorporates improved facilities for customers with disabilities in the design of new trains, new stations, station improvements and other customer facilities. Investment in accessibility on the Galway route is totalling €12 million and investment in Tullamore station alone is in excess of €2.5million.

Station accessibility works in 2009

Further accessibility works are planned at stations on the Galway line and around the network during the remainder of 2009.

These works include:

- investment in other stations along the Galway-Dublin line, including Woodlawn, Attymon, Ballinasloe, Athenry, Athlone and Clara

- Northern Commuter stations such as Rush and Lusk, Balbriggan, Laytown, Drogheda and Dundalk

- Design work on a range of further stations

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3……..Tullamore Station accessibility

Iarnród Éireann and Accessibility

Iarnród Éireann has had a full-time Accessibility Officer since 1995. Iarnród Éireann formed a disability users group in April 1997. The group undertakes site visits, audits and performance reviews, with a view to making recommendations on their findings, these recommendations were central to the scope of the works at Tullamore Station.

With the help of the users group, a guide was formulated for our mobility impaired customers, which covers all stations in the rail system. The guide is laid out in a matrix format, with symbols instead of text where it is possible and the colour scheme is black on white and black on yellow for the visually impaired. The guide has been available since July 1998 free of charge in all manned stations and also can be sent out on request. The Guide is available online at www.irishrail.ie our internet site has been re-designed and now includes facilities for the visually impaired, incorporating voice reader technology.

The company has proactively sought to apply best international practice in accessibility to the design of new fleet, and there have been major strides in this area, with all new Intercity carriages on all routes now featuring improvements in the number of dedicated spaces, in toilet accessibility, in carriage design to allow movement onto and within the carriage, and in audio-visual information for the visual and hearing impaired.

Issued by:

Corporate Communications,

Iarnród Éireann,