Behind the scenes at Connolly Station: Here’s how they handle their busiest hours
Barry Kenny, Head of Corporate Communications at Iarnród Éireann, outlines the intensive planning that goes into managing thousands of passengers, whether it’s the daily rush hour or crowds getting in for major concerts and events. “We work with the event organisers, with gardaí, with the National Transport sergeant, so that we’re all working together to make your journey to and from the event part of the enjoyable day as well,” he said, describing how communication, both with passengers and between teams on the ground, is central to ensuring everything runs as smoothly as possible during peak times. Behind the scenes, we were given a rare glimpse inside the Central Traffic Control room at Connolly Station, where CTC Duty Manager John O’Connor walked us through the nerve centre of Irish Rail’s network. Inside the control room, a team of staff monitored train movements on computers and digital displays, constantly tracking schedules, managing issues, and real-time train locations. Mr O’Connor also explained the critical responsibilities of each team member, “What we do here is control the operation and move the trains in real time. Plus, we control the overhead power directly…So anything that happens on the railway comes through here.” Credit to : Irish Independent