HC Deb 13 July 1906 vol 160 cc1187-8
MR. MACVEAGH (Down, S.)

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Great Northern Railway is the only railway in Ireland which refuses to take third-class passengers on mail trains; and whether, in view of the inconvenience thus caused to Irish business men, he will make representations to the railway company on the matter.

(Answered by Mr. Kearley.) I have communicated with the railway company on the subject of the hon. Member's Question, and am informed that they do carry cross-channel third-class passengers, holding through tickets, on the mail trains to and from Kingstown. The company add that local third-class passengers are not carried on the mail train, but a through train is run following each of the mail trains within thirty minutes by which such passengers can travel, and they explain that their object in not carrying local third-class passengers on mail trains is that the punctual working of the mails may be maintained.

MR. MACVEAGH

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the attention of the Great Northern Railway Company of Ireland will be directed to the total lack of sanitary accommodation on many of their long distance trains including, amongst others, the train leaving Bundoran at 7.20 a.m., arriving at Dundalk at noon.

(Answered by Mr. Kearley.) I have communicated the hon. Member's Question to the railway company, and have received a reply of which I am sending him a copy.