Late train that 'sleeps in Kildare' should stop in Portlaoise - TD

The last daily Dublin to Kildare train should continue to Laois to serve Portlaoise, a Laois TD as told the National Transport Authority.

Willie Aird raised the possibility of adding another nighttime service to serve the Laois County Town at the Dáil committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery.

Dep Aird said he uses public transport to get to the Dáil but cannot do so to return home to Portlaoise on Wednesdays. Instead, the Fine Gael TD said he has to rely on a lift from a Fianna Fáil constituency colleague.

"The only time I cannot do it, and I do not expect the NTA to lay on a special train for me or anybody else, is when we are sitting late on a Wednesday night. It is very difficult.

"If it was not for my friend Seán (Fleming) giving me a lift home, I would probably have to stay in the Dáil overnight. The point I want to make is that the last train to Portlaoise goes at 10.10 pm I am not just talking about me but about all the people who use the train from Portlaoise and further afield. CONTINUE BELOW PHOTO.

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"The train at 11.20 pm goes to Kildare. That train must stop and sleep in Kildare, or else it comes back to Dublin. It does not go any further. Surely it could go down to Portlaoise or the whole way to Cork. We have a station in Portlaoise where it could stop. I cannot understand why the train cannot go the extra few miles," he said.

The issue was also raised at the meeting by Dep Fleming, who is the committee Chairperson.

An NTA officials undertook to reply to the Laois TDs.