Irish Rail received 444 antisocial behaviour complaints last year - a 60% increase on the 277 it received in 2021. 

Those relating to the Dublin to Belfast and Dublin to Cork lines have been released under the Freedom of Information Act and many are linked to drunk and disorderly behaviour.

A woman and her husband on the Belfast line said a group of seven or eight drunken youths shouted sectarian, sexual and racial slurs on their journey.

One passenger on the Cork train claims a person took out a white substance and snorted it right off the table and a couple claims they were subjected to verbal abuse and threats of violence from a group of sports fans.

Another passenger claims they were verbally and sexually harassed by two drunk men.

One person said they witnessed a woman screaming in a man's face and threatening to kill him.

One passenger says they were kicked in the head by a man as they sat on the floor between two carriages.

A commuter train leaves Sallins Station in County Kildare. Photo: Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland

In a statement to Newstalk, Irish Rail said:

"Anti-social behaviour is a societal issue to which we are not immune.

"However, Iarnród Éireann has been working extensively with An Garda Síochána, our private security personnel and employees to ensure we both proactively put in place measures to address anti-social behaviour and respond to specific incidents to ensure we have as safe a travelling and working environment as possible."

Main image: A train. Photo: RollingNews.ie