Parking charges at Carlow train station making public transport ‘unattractive’

Parking charges at a train station in County Carlow are making public transport “unattractive”, the Dáil has heard.

Carlow-Kilkenny TD Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere highlighted the car parking situation at Bagnelstown Train Station.

Deputy Cleere described how popular the car park is, despite the charges that are in place.

The Fianna Fáil TD said: “I want to raise the issue of rural transport, in particular the car parking situation at Bagenalstown train station.

“The train service there is excellent but the car park is consistently full, leaving commuters having to park in the town, clogging up much-needed space for local businesses and shoppers.

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“I also firmly believe that the car parking charges at the train station should be abolished.”

He appealed to Taoiseach Micheál Martin to take action to ensure the infrastructure is there to encourage the use of public transport.

Deputy Cleere continued: “The Government is doing its best in trying to encourage people to use public transport but these charges are a deterrent as they are an additional cost. Carlow-Kilkenny is now part of the commuter belt.

“I ask the Taoiseach to discuss the issue with the necessary bodies to make sure funding is made available for additional car parking facilities and to abolish car parking charges for Bagenalstown train station and indeed all rural train stations.

“We have to be encouraging people to use public transport, incentivising them rather than punishing them and making it unattractive.”

He concluded by saying that people in Carlow should not be punished with additional costs because they live outside the M50.

In response to Deputy Cleere, the Taoiseach agreed that encouraging the use of public transport is important.

Deputy Martin said: “Public transport is the way forward. Rail is particularly important.

“The more people we can encourage and incentivise towards using rail, the better, particularly in areas like Kilkenny and Carlow which are very close to the Dublin area where people would commute for work and so forth.

“Sustainability in terms of financial sustainability is potentially an issue.”

However, he argued that charges are in place in some car parks to discourage people who are not using the train from parking there.

He continued: “I will reflect on what the Deputy is saying and will engage with Iarnród Éireann on the points he has made, particularly in terms of Bagenalstown and whether further capacity is needed there and the impact of the charges.”

“It is costly enough to get the train. I take the Deputy's point,” Deputy Martin concluded.