New assistance platform for rail customers with disabilities to launch later this year

Iarnród Éireann is set to introduce a new Passenger Assistance Management System across the rail network for customers requiring assistance, including those with disabilities, by the end of 2026.

The platform, delivered by Transreport, will strengthen how assisted travel is managed and coordinated for customers.

The platform, offered via app, website or call center for customers, will provide greater visibility across assistance requests, coordination points and station handovers, helping onboard and station teams manage assisted travel more consistently across the network.

With Iarnród Éireann handling over 65,000 assisted passenger journeys in the past year, and demand continuing to grow, the platform will help streamline the management of requests across stations, teams and multiple coordination points, supporting a more consistent experience for customers who need assistance.

The first operational go-live is planned for October 2026, with phased delivery across the Iarnród Éireann network to follow.

What does this mean for Iarnród Éireann customers?

A simpler and more streamlined approach for requesting and managing assistance
Clearer and more reliable communication between customers and frontline staff
Greater consistency across multi-stage journeys and station handovers
A more inclusive and reliable travel experience for customers who need assistance

Iarnród Éireann Chief Executive, Mary Considine said of today’s announcement:

Improving accessibility to rail services for customers with disabilities is important to us. As we expand and develop rail services and capacity nationally, it is our commitment to ensure that, year on year, more customers can access our services. 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 ensure that consistency and reliability and provide an improved service offering to more rail customers.

Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien welcomed the implementation of the new App:

I am pleased that the launch of this new app will achieve one of the priority actions under Pillar 5 of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. Our ambition under the Strategy is that disabled people can participate on an equitable basis as everyone else in all aspects of life by having an accessible, affordable and sustainable transport system. The app compliments the other accessibility initiatives under the Public Transport Accessibility Retrofit Programme, to ensure that disabled people get equal ‘access to opportunities’ including educational, employment and leisure opportunities. As Minister for Transport, my long-term goal is to have a transport system whereby disabled people can ‘turn up and go’ without any barriers and the new app is an important milestone on that journey.

Minister of State with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, Sean Canney said:

Public transport is a key enabler for the economic and social inclusion of disabled people in both rural and urban areas. The new app will help disabled people to make more seamless journeys in line with the aims of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People and Article 9 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It also aligns with our other accessibility commitments to helping disabled people travel on public transport, including the Just A minute (JAM) card and the expansion of the Independent Travel Assist scheme to key regional and rural areas.

Minister of State with responsibility for Rural Transport, Jerry Buttimer:

Our ambition is that by 2030 many of the existing barriers that prevent disabled people from accessing public transport services will be eliminated including in rural areas. The new app will assist us in meeting that commitment.

Jay Shen, CEO and Founder of Transreport, said:

“Assisted travel is 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.

“Iarnród Éireann’s decision to introduce Transreport’s Passenger Assistance Management System marks an important step for accessible rail in Europe. It shows a clear commitment to improving the customer experience, while providing greater operational visibility and better support for frontline teams.

“For Transreport, this partnership is also a major milestone in our European expansion. Following our national-scale deployment across Great Britain and successful deployments in Japan, we are proud to bring our proven technology to the EU rail market and to support Iarnród Éireann as it transforms assisted travel management across its network.”

Iarnród Éireann - Investment in accessibility

Sustained investment and improvement in training, processes and station infrastructure is ensuring more customers can access rail services than ever before.

Accessibility improvement works, including introducing new lifts to ensure all platforms are accessible, continue at stations across the network.
The new DART+ fleet, entering service from 2027, has a retractable step at every door to address the gap between train and platform, and will facilitate independent access for many customers with disabilities.
Customer Service Officers on all Intercity trains, ensure assistance is available. Sign language training has also commenced with this onboard Customer Service team.
Notice period for assistance has been reduced to 1 hour at 13 major stations.
Disability Awareness training at the best-in-class Wayfinding Centre is being provided to all customer facing colleagues.
The Age Friendly Stations initiative will see an initial 10 stations made more accessible for older rail users and will ultimately be rolled out to every station across the network.
Three stations (Connolly, Heuston and Limerick’s Colbert Station) have been equipped with Changing Places toilets, which are also to be provided at the new station at Galway, and at Athlone.
Sensory Packs distributed to 7,500 people with additional needs.

In addition, Iarnród Éireann is engaging with representative bodies such as The Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland, Epilepsy Ireland and enhancing training for rail staff to ensure a better understanding of the needs of customers with disabilities, including hidden disabilities, and to improve customer service for all who travel by train.