Train driver accepts platform marriage proposal

The happy couple, Paula Carbó Zea and her fiancé Conor O'Sullivan hope to marry in Barcelona

Train driver Paula Carbó Zea suspected a marriage proposal might have been on the cards, but never guessed the way her partner Conor O'Sullivan would pop the question.

As she drove her train into Pearse Station in Dublin on Tuesday, she was met with the words 'Will you marry me?', spelt out on four placards.

"I didn't have any idea at all, it was completely a surprise," she told BBC News NI.

"He knew that I kind of suspected something and that the only way to surprise me might have been at work."

After stopping in the station, Ms Carbó Zea made her way onto the platform to her partner, Conor O'Sullivan, who stood with flowers and an engagement ring in anxious anticipation.

Speaking to RTÉ, he said he was "nervous and shaking" as the train approached, and "loads of people had stopped and started to watch and take out cameras".

Thankfully for Conor, Paula said yes.

Ms Carbó Zea said a lot of her colleagues had helped to make the proposal possible.

These included the driver who swapped a shift with her so she would be on the right train, and another who agreed to finish her route after the proposal.

"All the people in the station were so helpful, a lot of people were involved," she said.

Since the proposal on Tuesday, and footage of it going viral on social media, she said it had been "non-stop" with contact from the the media.

No date has been set for the wedding yet, but the happy couple, who live in Dublin, plan to have their marriage in Barcelona - Ms Carbó Zea's home town.

'Special and unique engagement'

In a statement, Irish Rail, which runs the DART service which Ms Carbó Zea is a driver for, congratulated them on "their special and unique engagement".

"We also want to thank Paula's DART driver and Pearse Station colleagues, who ensured that the surprise engagement went off flawlessly, including getting a camera into the cab under false pretences, to capture the moment.

"They also ensured an inspector and relief driver were ready to take the DART onwards, in anticipation that Paula would be staying in Pearse to celebrate."

The Irish Rail spokesman added that Ms Carbó Zea and her colleagues had been "working throughout the year to ensure we continue to provide our essential services to those who must travel, and we thank them for all they have done, and for this amazing moment".