Train was `the only good thing about it'

For the four girls from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, who missed the 4.50 p.m. return train to Belfast yesterday, the business had been a bit of a damp squib.

Weather aside, they found clothes expensive, especially baby clothes. "It is worse, if it is not the same," one said. "The train was good. It was the only thing that was good about it."

No doubt they were unaware that there was no value to had there either. The fare from Belfast is, at £19 sterling (£23.75), £4.75 greater than the £19 charged for travellers setting out from Dublin.

Earlier, the Enterprise train had filled with returning shoppers, resplendent with multicoloured plastic bags of goods from Marks & Spencer, Next, Kilkenny Design and Pound City, which would be 80p sterling City to them.

Ms Kay Johnston, from Holywood, Co Down, had travelled with four friends from Belfast at 6.55 a.m. Apart from the taxi system - "awful" - they found a better selection and good value. Their last word went to the taxi-driver they found yesterday morning, who contradicted a bad press by collecting them again at St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre for their return trip.