Irish Rail customers will have to wait at least another few months for the return of the beloved tea trolley on board.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the service was halted as cases of the virus spiked, and most in-person contact on public transport was banned.
A number of weeks ago, a spokesperson for Irish Rail had said they were working on bringing back the trolley service, but couldn’t estimate a timeline.
Today, Iarnród Éireann spokesperson Jane Cregan said they’re working on reinstating the catering contract onboard but that it could be 2023 by the time everything is in action.
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Ms Cregan said the contract is "significant" and could take a considerable amount of time to be complete.
"We're working as fast as we can to ensure that we will get catering services back on board as soon as possible," she said.
The transport company is working with catering providers at major train stations to see if what they can provide at stations that do not currently have any catering facilities.
"The message for people who are going on Intercity journeys is that unfortunately at present they need to bring their own snacks and drinks on board," Ms Cregan added.
Later this afternoon, Barry Kenny from Iarnród Éireann told Lunchtime Live that the halt on services could extend into next year.
"In the short-term, it's bad news," he said.
"We've been working with our catering provider to try and get the service restored since the mask requirement - which is what kept it off for quite some time - eased.
"Unfortunately Rail Gourmet, our provider, has said they're not in a position to resume the service - so the contract is being cancelled.
"We are looking at a long gap, unfortunately, without onboard catering - being realistic, it probably will be the start of next year until it's restored".
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