Water refill unit in Athlone station 'has saved 10,000 plastic bottles'

A drinking water refill unit that was put in place in Athlone's train station has prevented a need for more than 10,000 plastic bottles since its installation, according to Irish Rail.

Ecofill drinking water refill units were installed in seven of Ireland's train stations in recent years.

Irish Rail spokesperson Jane Cregan said the bottle filling unit in Athlone has proven popular since its installation in 2020.

"To date, this unit has saved 10,703 plastic bottles, which has avoided 900kg of CO2 in the production of plastic," she said.

"The bottle filling units are free of charge. We encourage customers to refill their water bottles before boarding the train, or after when continuing their journey.

"The filling units are triple filtered, including a 'silver filter' which removes all types of contaminants. The filling point also has a UV light for antibacterial protection."

The seven stations which currently offer the water refill stations are: Dublin Connolly, Pearse, Heuston, Dundalk, Athlone, Killarney and Tralee.

When asked if there were plans to add the water refill units to other rail stations in the Midlands region, Ms Cregan said the addition of one at Tullamore train station was being considered.

"These units are quite expensive to install and maintain, so we are focusing on locations that have higher footfall," she said.