Mayo Senator hails train catering pilot win for peckish passengers

The new catering trolley service on the Dublin to Galway train shows Irish Rail is listening to passengers, a local Fine Gael Senator has said.

Irish Rail has confirmed that a six-month commercial pilot catering trolley service will begin on selected Dublin Heuston to Galway services from August 24.

The pilot, which runs without public service obligation (PSO) funding, is designed to test the viability of extending on-board catering beyond the Cork and Belfast routes, which has operated since 2023.

Fine Gael's Seanad spokesperson on Transport, Senator Mark Duffy, said the announcement shows Irish Rail is responding to what passengers have been asking for, and those served by the Galway line will be delighted to see a catering trolley finally up and running from Monday.

He said the demand behind the pilot programme won't disappear once it ends, and the extension of catering services shouldn't hinge on a six-month trial.

"The demand for catering on our Intercity network is well established at this stage. Whatever the pilot tells us about Galway, the demand across the network isn't going to go away.

There needs to be continued investment in these services, which should be treated as a basic need while travelling across the country," he said.

Senator Duffy said he will continue to engage with Irish Rail as the pilot scheme progresses.

"There are still numerous lines without any catering, like Westport, Waterford and Sligo, and while this is much needed progress on Irish Rail's part, we can't just stop by serving the Cork, Belfast and Galway lines," he said.