Irish Rail says parking there has created safety issues in access for emergency services vehicles and for access for buses.
Irish Rail has confirmed it's restricting parking at part of Clarke train station in Dundalk from today and clamping will begin next Monday.
It's after a bus, which was needed for transfers because of Storm Amy, was unable to get past cars parked on a service road from the Ardee Road.
Irish Rail's Head of Corporate Communications Barry Kenny has told LMFM News that the change is being made to ensure access is maintained for emergency services vehicles and buses.
He says that notices were last week left on cars parked in the area, where double yellow lines are also in place:
"Unfortunately, this access road has increasingly been used for parking at Clarke Station in Dundalk, and we've had issues with buses being unable to get to the car park and obviously the potential for emergency service vehicles being unable to get to the car park. So we do have to restrict parking in that area.
As a result, it is not permitted and we ask customers to cooperate with that. We are looking at alternatives to see if we can provide more spaces in the main car park by removing an island area where there's some grass, verges and shrubbery.
And we'll look at that urgently. But as of right now, unfortunately, those areas on the access road are not available for parking.
He also confirmed that clamping won't begin until next Monday:
"Double yellow lines are in place and there's been notices on cars and notices in the station. It is just in recent days, so we do want customers who may only use the station a couple of times a week to be aware, so we will concentrate on awareness this week.
We would ask people to cooperate with us straight away, but we have asked APCOA, who manage all of our commuter car parks, just to advise customers this week.
And then from next Monday, people will be subject to clamping - that's a €100 penalty. So we obviously don't want to be having a situation where people have to pay those fines. So again, (we) ask people to cooperate with this. It is for safe access for emergency service vehicles and for buses to the station."
Local TD Ruairí Ó Murchú, who was the first to highlight the parking restriction, says it will have major implications for commuters given the improved hourly rail services between Dublin and Belfast.
"Now you're going to have a case of, as chaotic as it may have been previously as regards parking, it's going to be a lot worse, and we're talking about people who need this from a point of view of work and obviously necessary medical procedures in Dublin and Belfast and wherever else, and this isn't just good enough in any way, shape, or form.
We really need Irish Rail to come up with solutions in relation to this. We want more people to travel on rail. They want more people to travel on rail. The service has greatly improved, particularly in relation to its frequency, but now you've removed a significant amount of parking.
You're talking about dozens of cars that would be parked here every day."
