THE SWELTERING HEAT has taken over many aspects of the lives of Irish people over the past few days – and this extends to private and public transport.
Is there a worse feeling than opening the car door and feeling the heat emanating from inside the vehicle? Or settling onto a packed and muggy form of public transport?
If you’re planning on using any rail service during this wave of heat (which is not a heatwave, according to Met Éireann), then it’s good to know upfront whether there’ll be air-conditioning.
All intercity trains have air-conditioning, Irish Rail confirmed.
When it comes to commuter services, the 29000 fleet that is the mainstay of Dublin commuter services – so those that pass through Connolly or Pearse – have air-conditioning.
The 2600 fleet, which operates Cork commuter services (and occasionally Limerick), is made up of older vehicles and does not have air-conditioning, although it has windows that can be opened.
The newest fleet of Darts, delivered in 2005, has air-conditioning, while the rest don’t. This means 40 of the 144 Dart carriages have air-conditioning. The rest have opening windows.
Irish Rail advised those who intend to travel on rail services in warm weather to bring water and stay hydrated. There are free water refill units at 13 stations on the rail network, including Dublin stations, Athlone, Bray, Dundalk, Drogheda, Galway, Killarney, Limerick Junction, Mallow, and Tralee.
Customers should protect themselves from the sun and wear sunscreen if they expect to be at open platforms, and anyone feeling unwell should refrain from travel.
It’s also advised that with additional events on that customers with flexibility opt for quieter times.
Irish Rail itself said its train maintenance teams give additional focus to air-conditioning units, and additional staff are placed at its busiest locations.