Sir, – Paul Cantwell (December 14th) quotes our most recent four-week Dart punctuality figures. However, these figures relate to the time of the year when we are worst affected by low rail adhesion arising from leaf-fall season, and we advertise in our stations that this will impact on punctuality. The year-to-date punctuality for the Dart is in fact over 90 per cent.
While Iarnród Éireann as a commercial State company is not party to the Croke Park agreement, the company has been aggressively reducing costs with the co-operation of its workforce. Since the economic crisis began in 2008, we have reduced annual operating costs by €61.2 million in three years. Almost 300 people will leave the company as part of a voluntary severance programme this year, bringing to 2,200 (or 36 per cent) the reduction in the size of the workforce since 2002, during which time we have delivered significantly expanded service levels.
Management and staff agreed a further range of cost saving measures this summer, and continue to work jointly to deliver the savings needed to address the ongoing critical financial challenges we face. – Yours, etc,