‘Visionary’ plan unveiled 18 months ago

THE Government’s commuter rail plans for Cork, hailed yesterday as “visionary”, were originally announced a year-and-a-half ago by then Transport Minister Seamus Brennan.

Furthermore, the plans push the completion date for new services between Cork city and Midleton, and Cork city and Blarney, back by a year to 2008.

In May last year Mr Brennan said design work by Iarnród Éireann was already underway on sections of the line and it was expected passenger services would begin in 2007.

A Department of Transport statement in May 2004 said the new commuter service between Cork city and Midleton - a distance of 20km - would involve the relaying of 10 kilometres of new track and the building of new stations, at Dunkettle, Carrigtwohill and Midleton, identical to yesterday’s announcement.

The new service proposes a train every 15 minutes at peak times with an estimated journey time of 25 minutes.

Scheduled rail services between Cork and Midleton ceased in the early 1970s but the alignment has been preserved. Mr Brennan also promised a greatly enhanced service along the 35km stretch from Mallow to Cork city on the main Dublin-Cork intercity line.

New stations will be constructed at Blarney, where significant new residential development is planned, and at Kilbarry on the outskirts of the city, as well as Monard, between Blarney and Kilbarry.

The new rail commuter service will operate from Mallow through Cork City to Midleton and is designed to meet the long-term needs of the expanding East Cork region; to alleviate traffic congestion into and out of the city at peak times and attract industrial and commercial developers.

President of Cork Chamber of Commerce Roger Flack and president of Midleton and Area Chamber of Commerce Donal Kelleher said while they welcomed the rail development, they were concerned with the delay in the redevelopment of Kent Station, necessary to cater for increased rail services, both maintenance and passenger.

However, a spokesperson for Iarnród Éireann said a €1.2m interim upgrade had been sanctioned and large-scale redevelopment will take place before the end of 2008.

Mr Flack said the Government also needed to invest in the expansion of the N28 to Ringaskiddy to accommodate greater traffic volumes caused by industrial and residential expansion.

In addition to investment in commuter rail services in Cork, the Government’s Transport 21 plan promises a train on the hour from Dublin to Cork in 2006, a promise previously made in March 2004.

The plans, if implemented, should also shave 41 minutes off a car journey from Dublin to Cork with completion of the Dublin/Cork urban motorway by 2010.