Fare increase `unlikely to end overcrowding'

Overcrowding on commuter trains is unlikely to be addressed by fare increases, Government sources indicated yesterday.

The suggestion that fare increases be used to dissuade people from taking the train was contained in a report from the UK-based Halcrow consultants commissioned by Iarnrod Eireann. It outlines how pressure on capacity at peak times could be eased by price increases, particularly in the Dublin area.

The report was recently passed to the Minister for Public Enterprise who has sanction on fare increases.

However, the suggestion has received a cold reception from sources in the Dublin Transport Office (DTO) who described the suggestion as "laughable".

"This really represents the ultimate failure of CIE. They can't manage the crowds so they are shutting the door on them," the source said. However, a spokesman for Iarnrod Eireann said the option was just one of a number of measures which the consultants said could be used to address overcrowding.

A spokesman for the Minister, Ms O'Rourke, said she was not asked for a decision on the issue. "It would be up to Iarnrod Eireann to ask for a fare increase if it had such a plan."