Social Sustainability
At Iarnród Éireann we are committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive society through fostering a customer-driven culture, putting safety first, and ensuring rail is accessible to all who wish to use it.
There are a number of ways we’re making this happen which are outlined below.
Customers at the Heart of our Business
Our customer-driven culture will ensure the needs of all customers are prioritised. This includes achieving punctuality and reliability targets, improving passenger services to ensure active and sustainable travel modes are integrated and importantly focuses on customer accessibility.
Achieving independent access for all customers to our services is something that is being prioritised for new fleets, stations and systems and there is ongoing consultation with mobility impaired customers and representative bodies on all proposals which relate to their travel.
Changing Places toilets are now available at Connolly, Heuston and Limerick stations.
Further Changing Places facilities are planned for Athlone, Galway, and Sligo.
Following feedback through our Disability User Group specifically from customers living with Autism, Asperger’s, Brain injuries, Alzheimer’s and Dementia, a Quieter Coach was introduced to offer an enhanced experience when travelling between Dublin and Cork. Also following the suggestion from this group sensory packs are now available free of charge for customers travelling by rail who may experience additional sensory challenges. The packs contain ear defenders, sunglasses and a fidget spinner.
Customer Service Officers are available on board all Intercity services allowing notice-free travel for those who require asssitance. This, along with the completion of the lift and escalator renewal and replacement programme will help more customers use our services independently. The transformation of customer information systems to ensure timely accurate information in station, including wayfinding, on board, and when planning travel will also support this.
Prototype of the new DART+ Fleet interior
The new DART+ Fleet will transform accessibility to our services in the Greater Dublin Area with the first of these carriages planned to enter service in mid-2025.
We continue to work with communities and Gardaí to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour and deliver a safe railway for everyone through targeted safety investment including train control and protection.
Learn more about our commitments to our customers here.
Learn more about Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail's Strategy 2020 – 2027 here.
Employer of choice, committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity
We’re working to be an employer of choice through initiatives addressing gender balance, health and wellbeing and equality and diversity. Iarnród Éireann was ranked top Irish employer and leading transport employer among companies employing 200 people or more in the Sunday Independent Statista Best Places to Work survey 2023.
We have been hiring graduates across multiple disciplines, with females accounting for 34% of all graduates into the workforce annually. From a workforce that has just 12% women, 44% of leadership roles in Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail are now held by women, and an increasing number of women applying for high potential programmes.
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Our Women in Rail Network also provides networking opportunities and learning and development support for women within the company. It is our goal under our sustainability strategy Sustainability in Motion to double the number of female employees by 2030. See our Gender Pay Gap 2024 report.
We strive to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of all staff and our Health & Wellbeing programme follows the approach set out in the Healthy Workplace Framework and is embedded into our corporate strategy. We are committed to equality and diversity in the workplace and in the services we provide. Our work to date has been recognised with Iarnród Éireann being awarded the Silver accreditation under the Irish Centre for Diversity’s Investors in Diversity Programme.
The report from the Irish Centre for Diversity makes recommendations for us to strengthen our performance in ED&I. We will continue to work with our employees, customers, outside agencies and other compatible groups in the development of best practice in the workplace for our employees and customers. We believe that valuing our staff, contractors and the services they provide to the customer will support our mission, vision and values. On this basis we will continue to develop an environment that respects the diversity of colleagues, contractors and customers.
A responsible member of our community
We serve over 145 communities and their wider catchment areas directly as well as operating through various landscapes throughout the country. It’s important that we make a positive contribution to those communities whether that be by our train services directly or how we engage with community members themselves.
We actively engage with communities to ensure awareness of major projects, maintenance works or timetable changes to ensure understanding as to how these may affect the community and mitigate any negative impact they may have. We continue to support mental health awareness nationally amongst communities, our customers and our colleagues, partnering with charities and support services to create awareness and ensure mental health issues can be discussed without stigma.
We have been awarded the Business Working Responsibly Mark, through Business in the Community Ireland, for our approach to our community engagement and sustainability initiatives.
Running community initiatives such as environmental and biodiversity enhancement projects around our network and arts and sports programmes help support our communities. One of our goals under our Sustainability Strategy is to have pollinator planting in place at all stations and 100 acres of native planting on non-operational lands.
Our station art programme incorporates community engagement and creativity to deliver colourful art pieces at our stations highlighting sustainability topics and local biodiversity.
Pride inspired art at Tara Street created by Claire Provost
Newbridge Station
Sallins Station
Accountability and Transparency
Our sustainability progress is reported annually which ensures accountability and transparency. This also allows us demonstrate how new initiatives are strengthening our sustainability journey as well as identifying areas where our targets are proving challenging.
From the reporting year 2025 onwards Iarnród Éireann will meet the EU sustainability reporting requirements as set out under CSRD and will be reporting to the Dept. of Finance as required in 2026.
As part of CIÉ Group, a B rating as participants in the Carbon Disclosure Project – a particular achievement in the transport sector.
As a commercial semi-state body we are committed to delivering the five commitments included in the ‘Framework for the Commercial Semi-State Sector to address climate action objectives’ (July 2022)