Irish Rail does not have the money to provide a catering service on all routes, the organisation has confirmed. 

Before the pandemic, train users were able to buy tea, coffee and snacks to their hearts’ content. 

However, social distancing rules meant the service was axed and it has since returned only on a select number of routes - to the dismay of many. 

On The Claire Byrne Show, Iarnród Éireann spokesperson Barry Kenny said money is the issue. 

“We were funded through the NTA,” he explained. 

“They said, ‘Well, look, we've got a certain amount for catering and we can't go beyond that because if we have more than that, we would like to license bus services’. 

“And it's not an unreasonable argument.” 

Irish Rail trains. Photo credit: Alamy

The catering trolley has returned to the busiest routes between the capital and Belfast, as well as Cork and Dublin. 

Now, Iarnród Éireann is considering whether the service is viable on other routes as well. 

“We're doing a pilot on the Dublin Galway route on a number of services in that route to see can we operate this commercially with a supplier?” he said. 

“It's going okay; I think it's a little bit too early to say kind of longer-term. 

“I think one thing I would say is the idea of every single train on a commercial basis is probably unlikely, but your morning, afternoon services.

“We're hoping to expand that pilot a little bit further before the end of it and then, with the NTA, we'll make the decision.

“We want catering on all the trains - but the money isn't there right now.”

Main image: A food trolley. Picture by: Almay.com.