Parking problems continue at Carlow and Bagenalstown train stations
Early morning commuters boarding a train at Carlow train station last week
“PEOPLE avoid driving because the traffic is horrendous,” explained Elaine Maher, who has been commuting by train to her insurance job in Dublin twice weekly for the past few years. “All it takes is one crash (on the N7) and then you are hours delayed.” The scene is calmer than one might expect considering the discourse online and at council meetings regarding car parking capacity at Carlow and Bagenalstown train stations.
Workers in the café and ticketing desk confirmed that it is normal to have a few to no spaces remaining after the commuter trains leave on weekdays. They pointed out the fact that there are five schools in the vicinity and that the town bus does not pass the station as aggravating car parking issues.
To cllr Fintan Phelan, the lack of parking after the early morning rush is “a very unsatisfactory situation, with people going to college in Waterford or Dublin or for medical appointments and they're caught”.
He made these comments at a Carlow County Council meeting and passed a motion to have the council engage with Irish Rail about expanding its car parking space.
Cllr Ben Ward told the chamber that he, too, had faced the issue when getting the train to go to college. Cllr Daniel Pender said a number of his constituents in Bagenalstown felt “marooned essentially from accessing public transport” due to the lack of parking. Cllr John Cassin described the train as “a victim of its own success”.
Cllr Fergal Browne called for the Carlow Youth Centre parish site to be developed to expand car parking space in that direction. He raised this possibility previously in a 2019 meeting of the Carlow County Council and the then director of Services, Dan McInerney, said the council was engaging with Irish Rail on the issue. No changes to the car parking space available were made, however.
“Car parking has always been an issue, but during Covid it eased off for a number of years. As more people are going back to the office now, without question the capacity is gone,” cllr Phelan explained to .
Deputy Peter Chap Cleere asked the minister for transport in recent weeks if he would investigate the possibility of additional car parking spaces at Bagenalstown Train Station. In a written response delivered this month, the National Transport Agency said it had no plans to add parking spaces to that station. It noted a 2020 survey that found under utilisation of car parking spaces and a 2025 survey that found that occupancy averaged 75%. It noted free on-street parking is available close by. However, Bagenalstown residents have reportedly begun placing bollards in front of their houses to prevent people from parking there.
On receiving the information from the NTA, deputy Cleere said he would request that another review be carried out. He further plans to challenge the car parking charges at the station, which he sees as a “deterrent” to people using public transport and the train station parking. Both Carlow and Bagenalstown’s private car parking is provided by APCOA Parking Ireland Ltd.
