Posted online: Nov 15th, 2007

By Paddy Clancy

editorial@donegalpost.com

Ocean FM’s Donegal news head Elaine McGee was one of a number of furious passengers stranded for several hours on a freezing train on Sunday.

They complained that they couldn’t even buy a cup of tea from the food trolley because Iarnrod Eireann didn’t have enough water on board.

In a litany of criticisms the passengers also told how they put on extra clothing from their suitcases in a bid to keep warm, walked up to a mile in search of hot food when the engine broke down near Mullingar, couldn’t use the toilets and were given no information on what was happening.

Iarnrod Eireann spokesman Barry Kenny apologised to passengers. He admitted what happened was “not good”.

Elaine(25), from Coolcholly, Ballyshannon, was among 130 passengers, including a number from south Co. Donegal, stranded when the 5.05 p.m. train from Connolly Station, Dublin, to Sligo broke down at Killucan, near Mullingar.

She said: “We were given no information for an hour and then an Iarnrod official went running through the carriage saying there had been a breakdown but he didn’t want to stop and explain.

“It was bitterly cold and there was no heat at all. I had to take some clothes from my suitcase and put them on to keep warm. It was so cold two old ladies had to be moved up the train in an attempt to find some warmth.

“The PA system didn’t work so even if they were putting out any information nobody could hear any announcements.”

Elaine said: “The tea trolley was wheeled through the carriage but we couldn’t get a cup of tea. There was no water. They had muffins and snacks and we had to pay for them. They soon ran out.”

She added: “You couldn’t even use the toilets. The lights didn’t work and the doors wouldn’t lock”.

She said that almost an hour and a half after the breakdown passengers were told an engineer was on the way but was only leaving Connolly at that stage and wouldn’t arrive for another 40 minutes.

A replacement engine was eventually linked to the train and passengers arrived in Sligo after midnight, more than three hours late.

Iarnrod spokesman Kenny said there was water to make tea but it ran out before all passengers could be served.