22 June 2007

Dear Colleagues,

You may have seen the media coverage of delays arising from the mechanical failure of the 2045 Enterprise service from Wednesday (20th June) just outside Newry.

There were 39 passengers on board, they were taken to Dundalk and transferred to buses and taxis to continue their onward journey; they arrived into Belfast two hours late. The complete failure of a train is uncommon but, as this week shows, it can happen.

What is most important from a passenger point of view is how we deal with events such as these which can happen in both the bus and rail networks. If we manage unexpected events well and professionally and look after our passengers, we retain their confidence and support.

In reviewing incidents such as happened on Wednesday, we must take this perspective and honestly assess if we could have managed things better from the passengers’ point of view.

This is not to say that our colleagues working on Wednesday night could or should have done anything differently; I know they are committed and professional and do a great job. But we all have to work hard to get into the passenger's mindset!

Philip O'Neill

Acting Chief Executive

We all have to work hard to get into the passenger's mindset!