Benches removed from Wicklow Dart station as anti-social behaviour spikes

By Hugh O'Farrell Walsh, The Wicklow People

Irish Rail officials have removed benches from the Dart station in Greystones due to a recent spike in anti-social behaviour.

This follows an historical trend at the station where shelters and wooden benches have been removed by the transport operator to prevent them from becoming focal points for loitering.

The tourism and town maps at the station have also been a major target for repeat vandalism, leading to ongoing repairs. Perpetrators have repeatedly used industrial glue to deface the maps and damage the protective casing, making them unreadable.

Cllr Stephen Stokes reported multiple attacks within a single month in early 2025, describing it as "criminal damage" that specifically targets visitors trying to navigate the town.

While the station remains open for all services, it does not have a dedicated booking office or on-site personnel for daily operations.

Cllr Stokes has been a persistent critic of this lack of a full-time presence, arguing that the station’s unmanned status contributes to safety and service issues.

“When incidents like these happen, it only emphasises the need for Greystones to have a full-time member of staff manning the station. Anti-social behaviour has a knock-on effect on those looking to use rail services.

“Benches are important for passengers waiting for their train. And don’t forget those who may have mobility issues.

“Unfortunately, the station has been targeted multiple times in recent years and the current system where staff from nearby "hub" stations (like Bray), who travel to the station to provide manual assistance, clearly isn’t working.”

He has repeatedly called for a full-time manned station to deter anti-social behaviour and vandalism.

These incidents have highlighted Issues regarding CCTV at the station, which are frequently raised during local district meetings, where local councillors, Wicklow County Council officials, and An Garda Síochána discuss station security.

In July 2025, the council was asked to review the status of existing cameras following a spike in reported anti-social behaviour.

Cllr Stokes noted in that meeting that while the council monitors areas like the car park, monitoring inside the station is managed independently by Irish Rail.

The company stated in 2025 that it is expanding its remote monitoring centres and increasing security patrols to detect and record incidents across the Dart network. They also emphasise the use of their discreet text service as the primary way for passengers to report incidents without staff present.

As part of the Dart+ Coastal South project, plans were presented at district level to upgrade the nearby Ennis Lane Level Crossing to a CCTV-controlled system for enhanced remote safety.