Up to 15,000 rail passengers have had to make alternative travel arrangements since unofficial action by train drivers belonging to the Irish Locomotive Drivers' Association (ILDA) began 12 days ago.
Worst hit are those planning journeys between Cork and Dublin. Only a skeleton service is operating on this route. Three trains ran yesterday from Dublin to Cork, and two from Cork to Dublin, where normally there would be seven operating both ways.
Also badly affected are passengers using the Arrow train service between Kildare and Dublin. On several days there has been no evening service. Yesterday, trains on the route were operating at 25 per cent the normal level. Commuters between Dublin and Drogheda have also had to amend their plans, with just two-thirds of trains running.
A woman who commutes from Newbridge to Dublin said she was very annoyed at the inconvenience the dispute was causing and believed it was "very selfish" of the drivers to continue their action.
She said she had been stranded in the city after work two evenings this week, despite having bought return tickets. Eireann coach to Newbridge at 8 p.m. but had to stand all the way home. "It was packed with people who would normally get the train," she said.
Yesterday she drove to work and had to leave home 45 minutes earlier to get to work there in time. "It is a gross inconvenience," she said.
Passengers intending to travel on the Dublin-Westport and Dublin-Tralee routes are also affected. Where normally three daily trains run between Dublin and Westport, only two travelled to Westport yesterday and one travelled to Dublin.
A spokesperson for Iarnrod Eireann said there was a "minimal" service operating on the Dublin-Tralee route. Most trains to Limerick and Waterford are running.
Mr Barry Kenny, media and public relations manager with Irish Rail, said up to 15,000 people were directly affected by service cancellations every day but many others might not be turning up because of the "intimidating" presence of picketing train drivers.
He apologised to passengers for the frustration the dispute caused and urged drivers who are part of the breakaway ILDA to return to work.
A spokesperson for Bus Eireann in Cork said the company had "been forced" to put extra buses on its Cork-Dublin route to cope with the demand.