Complaints about Cork rail service see compo paid to passengers

Iarnród Éireann paid out almost €150,000 in compensation to passengers in less than a year, but a request for similar data on Cork buses has been refused.

The bus data is not available due to Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation, but The Echo has learned that Bus Éireann received more than 2,700 complaints about its Cork city routes in the last 12 months.

In total, more than 5,500 people across Ireland received payouts from Iarnród Éireann in a 10-month period in 2024.

The largest payouts included €1,630 to one person for “first class issues”, but the majority of the payments were smaller, with 90% under €50 and 20% under €10.

Overall, the most common reason was refunds for booking errors or unused tickets, accounting for 36% of all payouts, followed by service disruption, representing 33% of all complaints.

Other reasons passengers received money back or compensation included unhelpful or rude staff, pre-booked seats being occupied, having to be transferred by bus, lack of cleanliness of trains or stations, cancellations, crowding, and problems with toilets.

More than €500 was also paid out in compensation for antisocial behaviour, with 12 people compensated for disruptive passengers and five for intimidation by other passengers.

It comes as The Echo previously highlighted complaints about drinking, drug use, smoking, vaping, violence, abusive behaviour, sexual abuse, shouting, playing videos or music loudly, and singing, all made by passengers on trains to and from Cork.

The train compensation figures were obtained by Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, after a 12-month battle with Iarnród Éireann, a process that required the involvement of the Information Commissioner.

Ms Ní Mhurchú told The Echo: “If we want people to make the switch from the car to the train, then our trains have to be clean, on time, and focused on better customer service.”

A recent request by The Echo for information on compensation or refunds paid out to customers of Cork buses was refused by the National Transport Authority (NTA), who said they did not have the records, but they “may be held by Bus Éireann”.

Bus Éireann is exempt under Freedom of Information rules, due to government concern that an uneven competitive playing field would be created if commercial state bodies like Bus Éireann were subject to FOI requests, but their privately-owned market competitors were not.

MONOPOLY

Certain state companies which operate in a monopoly market, such as Iarnród Éireann, are not exempt.

It comes as more than 2,700 complaints were made about the buses in Cork city in the last year, equating to more than seven complaints a day: between March 1, 2025, and February 28 of this year, 2,738 complaints were made about 28 city bus routes, equating to 228 complaints a month.

The route with the most complaints (459) was the route 220 from Ovens to Fort Camden, followed by 367 complaints about the 208 from Ashmount to Curraheen.

The 215 from Drawbridge St to Cloghroe was responsible for 240 complaints, the 214 from Glanmire to CUH 209 complaints, and the 203 from Manor Farm to Parklands prompted 190 complaints.

Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould said: “No service that receives more than 2,000 complaints in 12 months is functioning.”

Agreeing with Ms Ní Mhurchú, he said the service had to be improved to encourage people to use public transport: “People in Cork still want to use the bus but they can no longer rely on it. They are instead forced into cars and into traffic chaos.”