Irish Rail restricts parking at access road area at Dundalk's Clarke Station

Commuters using Clarke Station in Dundalk will face even more pressure for car parking spaces, Louth TD Ruairí Ó Murchú has said. after Irish Rail revealed it would be restricting parking at an access road at the train station from today, Monday 13 October, due to safety issues in relation to access for emergency services vehicles and for buses at the access road.

Issues arose recently at the service road located on the Ardee Road behind Dundalk Garda Station where commuters park, when a bus, needed for transfers because of Storm Amy, was unable to get past the parked cars to Clarke Station.

Deputy Ó Murchú said he was contacted by station customers at the end of last week when they returned to their cars at the Ardee Road to find a note telling them that from Monday October 13, they would no longer be able to park there and would be clamped if they did so.

The Sinn Féin TD wrote to Irish Rail and on Sunday received a response which confirmed the closure of the access road to parking, where Deputy Ó Murchú says dozens of cars park every day.

In the email, he questioned the rationale behind the restriction of parking, and asked for additional spaces to be provided.
Deputy Ó Murchú wrote: “With the Enterprise running every hour now and higher demand for the excellent services from Dundalk to Dublin and Belfast, many people are parking at the station and rightly using the trains.

“Most days, all the car parks are full of commuters heading in both directions. This has come as a shock to many, particularly because of the fact that these notes were on the windscreens, with no further directions to commuters issued at the station itself or on the platforms.

“A couple of days’ notice is not enough for those who work in Dublin or Belfast a couple of days a week and would not have seen these if they were not there today”.

In response, Irish Rail said: “I can confirm that we have arranged to restrict parking in this area. It is incorrect to describe the area as an overflow car park – it is an access road to the station, and the extent of parking there has created safety issues in access for emergency services vehicles, and for access for buses.

“It is correct that the station car park has become busier arising from the success of the improved service, including hourly Belfast services.

“However, I hope you will understand that we must be in a position to maintain safe and clear access for emergency service vehicles such as fire brigade and ambulance, and for bus services.

“As a result, double-yellow lines have been put in place, and those parking illegally in this area will be subject to clamping, as detailed on the notices.”

Irish Rail continued, offering a solution that could go some way to alleviating the problem: “We do believe there is the potential to provide some additional spaces in the main car park by removing the middle ‘island’ where there are some grass verges and shrubbery, and we will examine this as a matter of urgency.

“However, we are not in a position to permit parking on the access roadway due to the safety access issues described above.

“During week commencing 13th October, our focus will be on ensuring awareness of this amongst customers through notices, and through additional signage, and we have instructed APCOA who manage our car parking including clamping in all of our station car parks to commence clamping for illegal parking in the area from Monday 20th October”.