THE TRAIN LEFT WITHOUT THE MINISTER
While I was waiting for the train a fellow passenger provided me with an interesting story associated with Newbridge station. On my return home I checked to see if the story was true and found a variety of accounts online.
The Minister’s Train Misadventure: A Newbridge Rail Comedy
In a moment of pure farce, Minister for Transport Brian Cowen found himself stranded on the platform at Newbridge Station during the very launch of the new commuter rail service. He had just stepped off the train, ready to cut the ceremonial ribbon, when the doors slid shut and the train departed, leaving the bewildered minister and his entourage behind.
Frantic calls were made on those then-novel, not very user-friendly mobile phones, while a resourceful local garage owner came to the rescue, offering the Minister a lift in his Nissan Micra to chase the runaway train to Sallins, where a celebratory lunch awaited.
According to all accounts, the Minister arrived before the soup went cold, but this amusing mishap couldn't overshadow the significance of that day in May 1994. The launch of the dedicated commuter service on the Kildare to Dublin Heuston route marked a turning point for the county.
As towns like Newbridge and Naas expanded with suburban housing, traffic congestion on the roads had become unbearable. The new rail service, branded "the Arrow", with its refurbished stations and innovative Japanese railcars, promised relief. The closed stations at Sallins and Hazelhatch were reopened, with Naas and Celbridge added to their signage to attract commuters from nearby towns.
The Arrow proved an instant hit, offering frequent services from early morning to late evening. However, the sudden popularity also exposed some growing pains. Sallins station's access roads, designed for horse-drawn carriages, struggled to cope with the influx of cars, and there were complaints about ticket pricing discrepancies.
Despite these initial hiccups, the new rail service transformed life for many in mid-Kildare. It allowed people to live in the county while working in the city, a fact not lost on auctioneers who featured the distinctive Arrow trains in their brochures. Sallins, in particular, experienced rapid growth, evolving from a village into a thriving commuter town.
The Minister’s Train Misadventure: A Newbridge Rail Comedy
In a moment of pure farce, Minister for Transport Brian Cowen found himself stranded on the platform at Newbridge Station during the very launch of the new commuter rail service. He had just stepped off the train, ready to cut the ceremonial ribbon, when the doors slid shut and the train departed, leaving the bewildered minister and his entourage behind.
Frantic calls were made on those then-novel, not very user-friendly mobile phones, while a resourceful local garage owner came to the rescue, offering the Minister a lift in his Nissan Micra to chase the runaway train to Sallins, where a celebratory lunch awaited.
According to all accounts, the Minister arrived before the soup went cold, but this amusing mishap couldn't overshadow the significance of that day in May 1994. The launch of the dedicated commuter service on the Kildare to Dublin Heuston route marked a turning point for the county.
As towns like Newbridge and Naas expanded with suburban housing, traffic congestion on the roads had become unbearable. The new rail service, branded "the Arrow", with its refurbished stations and innovative Japanese railcars, promised relief. The closed stations at Sallins and Hazelhatch were reopened, with Naas and Celbridge added to their signage to attract commuters from nearby towns.
The Arrow proved an instant hit, offering frequent services from early morning to late evening. However, the sudden popularity also exposed some growing pains. Sallins station's access roads, designed for horse-drawn carriages, struggled to cope with the influx of cars, and there were complaints about ticket pricing discrepancies.
Despite these initial hiccups, the new rail service transformed life for many in mid-Kildare. It allowed people to live in the county while working in the city, a fact not lost on auctioneers who featured the distinctive Arrow trains in their brochures. Sallins, in particular, experienced rapid growth, evolving from a village into a thriving commuter town.
THE TRAIN LEFT WITHOUT THE MINISTER