IRISH RAIL PASSENGERS were “crammed” into a train at Portlaoise following a mechanical fault on a train from Cork to Heuston Station this afternoon.

The 12.25 train from Cork to Heuston Station was delayed at Portlaoise Station this afternoon as a result of a technical error, leading to significant delays on the service.

Multiple other trains, including the 14.25 and 13.25 trains from Cork to Heuston were delayed by several hours.

A spokesperson for Irish Rail said that the delay at Portlaoise was caused by a “major mechanical fault” on the 12.25 train from Cork to Heuston, which resulted in the train being stopped in Portlaoise.

“We initially endeavoured to resolve this by using an assisting engine, but this was unsuccessful,” said the spokesperson.

Passengers remained on board the train in Portlaoise for several hours.

According to a passenger on board the 12.25 train, passengers were informed that the train was stopped to fix an issue. While the train was out of service due to mechanical issues, there were no toilet facilities available for passengers.

The spokesperson for Irish Rail said this was a “consequence of the mechanical fault on the 12.25″.

“The hydraulic doors on the toilets on that train were inoperable meaning toilets were unavailable on that service,” said the spokesperson. Due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, there were no catering facilities on board the train.

Passengers were then moved from the 12.25 train to the 14.25 train, with Irish Rail bringing the train up to Portlaoise to allow a transfer of passengers to take place.

A passenger on the train said that people were “crammed” into the second train, with people standing as well as sitting.

There was concern by some using the service over the spread of Covid-19 and the Omicron variant, due to the high volume of passengers placed on the 14.25 train.

The spokesperson for Irish Rail said that while moving passengers onto the second train caused “heavy loading” on the 14.25.

“While this resulted in heavy loading on the 14.25 service for the distance between Portlaoise and Heuston, the alternative was to cause further delays to customers on these and other services who had already seen significant disruption,” said the spokesperson for Irish Rail.

The spokesperson added that Irish Rail can utilise 100% capacity, with all passengers being required to wear a face covering.

Irish Rail have since apologised to impacted customers due to the delays as a result of the fault.

“We apologise to our customers who were delayed as a result of this mechanic fault, all of whom are entitled to full refunds due to the significant delays which occurred.

“Customer service staff met affected customers at Heuston to assist with onward transfers and any other requirements.”

Additional reporting by Ian Curran