Proposed rail cutbacks would cost 600 jobs

MORE than 600 jobs will be lost and some of the country’s most needy communities will be dealt a severe blow if Iarnrod Éireann proceeds with cuts and line closures outlined in an internal report, a key union warned yesterday.

The warning came as rail workers, politicians, business and farm leaders asked Transport Minister Seamus Brennan to confirm in writing he does not plan to close any of four rail lines as a cost-cutting measure.

An Iarnrod Éireann report says cutbacks, which include closing four lines and suspending freight business, are only proposals.

They are mooted in a cost-cutting proposals included in a report for its board and are not written in stone, said Iarnrod Éireann spokesperson Barry Kenny.

But SIPTU freight section national secretary Tony Tobin said any such move could signal the death-knell of various communities around the country. It wants a meeting with Seamus Brennan now and the formation of a committee to press for an upgrade of lines.

The proposals were mooted at a heated meeting in Wexford yesterday afternoon. The rail line is a key resource in the south east in particular. Over 160,000 tonnes of beet alone are transported on the Wellington Bridge to Waterford line, the equivalent of 100 truck-loads a day, six days a week.

Mr Kenny said no decision had been taken on line closures. “The situation is that Iarnrod Éireann is facing a

€25 million deficit this year because of increased costs. “We have a responsibility to the exchequer to have prudent financial management.

What we have done is produced a document for our board setting out cost options. Our priority is getting cost reductions within our cost base, as well as fare and subvention increases.

“This is just a document setting out every single option which could be considered. The Government policy at the moment is that the network be maintained. As long as this remains the situation, we will continue to operate all of the services. There will be no line closures and no service cutbacks,” he said.

Local SIPTU representative in Wexford Mick Cullen said there were serious concerns over the latest

report. He said Wexford was becoming increasingly isolated. “We have one of the highest rates of unemployment, one of the lowest rates in uptake in third level and we have no gas pipeline. Now they want to take the railway from us.”

Fine Gael’s Wexford TD Paul Keogh said any threat to lines in the south east would be a devastating blow to the region. Over the past year, the region has lost over 1,000 jobs. Junior Minister John Browne said he spoke to Transport Minister Seamus Brennan over the weekend and was reassured no cuts were proposed.

“I don’t believe that lines will close. He informed me of plans to modernise the tracks and maintain existing services. And as CIE owns Rosslare, he doesn’t see any point closing the line to the main port in the country.”