Dart station ‘is covered in urine and cigs’

a Dart station in north Dublin is covered in urine, faeces, beer cans and cigarette butts line the stairwell as commuters travel to their destinations.

Clongriffin Dart Station, the next stop after Howth Junction, has been in operation since april 2010.

However, residents say after 13 years there is still limited access to the station via the temporary stairwell and escalator for residents living in Baldoyle, according to reports in the Irish Independent They claim the escalator is frequently broken and soaked with urine, while the stairwell is a hotspot for anti-social behaviour, deterring the public from using the train station.

Local resident Samantha O’Flanagan said: “It’s absolutely disgusting, there is consistently urine and faeces in it [the escalator]. There has been drug paraphernalia found in it, there is anti-social behaviour with teenage drinking.

“The lift is often not working. People can’t access it because they can’t get up flights of stairs if they have buggies, mobility issues or wheelchair users.

“It’s not acceptable that they can’t access their Dart station.” an online petition, launched by Myrtle The Coast residents association, has reached more than 2,000 signatures calling for Irish rail to take over the structure and provide safe and permanent universal access to the train station.

The temporary structure, with a stairwell and lift from Baldoyle, is privately owned by richmond Homes, owner of a number of housing estates beside the station, and not in the ownership of the council or Irish rail.

However, Irish rail has said a meeting is scheduled next week to discuss plans to explore the possibility of taking over ownership from richmond Homes.

Local resident Christopher Blomfield (83), who uses a cane, said: “When I go to Dublin, it’s just horrible. I hate the lift because it smells. “Walking up the stairs is hard work, they are not the easiest. It’s not a very friendly experience. I can manage to get up the stairs but as I get older it becomes more difficult.” another resident, Caroline Engel-Purcell, said she doesn’t bring her children to the Dart station anymore due to the difficulty with access.

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Oisin Meaney was attempting to carry his bike up the four flights of stairs instead of using the urinesoaked escalator.

Elaine Verdon, another local resident, added: “at night time you wouldn’t come through here. It’s so dark within that stairwell, whereas you should be able to get the Dart at any time and be able to walk safely.

“Young people hang around here in the evening because it is really dark, it’s the perfect place to hide and do what you need. There is graffiti everywhere,” she added.

“You basically have to wait at the bottom for somebody to help you, ‘cause you can’t carry a kid in a buggy up flights of stairs,” she said.