Ireland’s national rail operator introduces new accessibility technology across its network
Ireland’s national rail operator, Iarnród Éireann, will introduce a new Passenger Assistance Management System, delivered by accessibility technology specialist Transreport, to improve the coordination of assisted travel across the country’s rail network.
The platform will give frontline teams greater visibility of assistance requests, coordination points and station handovers, helping staff to manage journeys more consistently.
Iarnród Éireann supported more than 65,000 assisted passenger journeys during the past year, with demand continuing to grow.
The new system is intended to streamline the management of assistance requests across stations, operational teams and multiple journey stages, creating a more consistent experience for passengers who require support.
The first operational launch is scheduled for October 2026, followed by a phased rollout across the wider Iarnród Éireann network.
According to Iarnród Éireann, the new platform will provide a simpler process for requesting and managing assistance, clearer communication between passengers and frontline staff, greater consistency during multi-stage journeys and station handovers, and a more inclusive and reliable travel experience.
Mary Considine, Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann, said improving access to rail services for disabled passengers remained a key priority as the national network expands.
She commented: “Rail transport, as the backbone of sustainable transport in Ireland, must be available to all customers who wish to use it, and the experience must be streamlined, consistent and reliable.
“Introducing a centralised customer assistance management platform will help ensure that consistency and reliability, while providing an improved service to more rail customers.”
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien said the system would support one of the priority actions under Pillar 5 of Ireland’s National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025–2030.
He said the long-term ambition was to create a transport system in which disabled people could “turn up and go” without facing barriers.
“The new app is an important milestone on that journey,” he added.
Sean Canney, Minister of State with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, said accessible public transport was a key enabler of economic and social inclusion in both rural and urban areas.
He added that the system aligned with wider accessibility commitments, including the Just A Minute card and the expansion of the Independent Travel Assist scheme.
Minister of State for Rural Transport Jerry Buttimer said the technology would also support the government’s ambition to remove many of the barriers preventing disabled people from using public transport by 2030.
Jay Shen, Founder and Chief Executive of Transreport, said assisted travel was becoming an increasingly important operational priority for rail operators.
“As demand grows and expectations around accessible travel continue to rise, the challenge is how assistance is coordinated, delivered and measured consistently across the network,” he said.
“Iarnród Éireann’s decision to introduce Transreport’s Passenger Assistance Management System marks an important step for accessible rail in Europe.
“It demonstrates a clear commitment to improving the customer experience while providing greater operational visibility and better support for frontline teams.”
Shen added that the partnership represented a significant milestone in Transreport’s European expansion, following the national deployment of its technology across Great Britain and projects in Japan.
Iarnród Éireann said the platform forms part of continued investment in staff training, operational processes and station infrastructure.
Current and planned accessibility initiatives include new lifts to improve step-free access to station platforms and retractable steps on the new DART+ fleet, which is due to enter service from 2027.
The operator also provides customer service officers on all Intercity trains, while sign language training has begun for onboard customer service teams.
The assistance notice period has been reduced to one hour at 13 major stations, and disability awareness training is being delivered to customer-facing staff.
The Age Friendly Stations initiative will initially improve accessibility at 10 stations before being rolled out more widely across the network.
Changing Places toilets are already available at Connolly, Heuston and Limerick Colbert stations, with further facilities planned at new stations in Galway and Waterford.
Iarnród Éireann has also distributed 7,500 sensory packs to passengers with additional needs.
The rail operator is working with representative organisations, including the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and Epilepsy Ireland, to improve staff understanding of visible and non-visible disabilities.
Passenger groups have been invited to have their say on new proposals from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), aimed at helping to ensure fairer redress when booked rail passenger assistance is not provided.
