Cool reaction to 10-year Western Rail Corridor plan
The proposed link between Ennis, Co Clare, and Claremorris, Co Mayo, is the eye-catching initiative of its plans for developing rail and bus infrastructure over the next decade.
But reaction to yesterday’s announcement by Transport Minister Martin Cullen was decidedly muted among groups and politicians who have long campaigned for a rail link along the west coast. They said that it would take too long to deliver and fell far short of what was required.
The plan, unveiled by Mr Cullen yesterday, envisages a rail link between Ennis, Co Clare, and Claremorris, Co Mayo, phased in over the next nine years.
The first phase, the connection between Ennis and Athenry, is anticipated to be completed by 2008. Completion dates for the remaining sections of the line are: the Galway to Athenry commuter link (2009); Athenry to Tuam (2011); and Tuam to Claremorris (2014).
Though no date has been given for the final part of the link - between Claremorris and Colooney, Co Sligo - Rural Affairs Minister Eamon Ó Cuiv said his department will begin preserving the rail alignment to the Co Sligo town.
A feasibility study will also be carried out on a new rail link to Shannon Airport, which campaigners say is another vital part of the corridor.
However, campaigners for the corridor were particularly critical that the link from Ennis would end in Claremorris, Co Mayo, and not in Sligo.
Long time western development campaigner Seamus Caulfield dismissed it as a “Western rail cul-de-sac”.
Sligo-based TD and MEP Marion Harkin said that the plan announced by the minister betrayed what she said was their “lack of interest in bringing this critical piece of infrastructure to the west”.
Ms Harkin said that the upgrade of the rail line between Limerick and Sligo could be completed in three years.
“They could have front-loaded the investment for this project and it would have been an indication that they were serious about their mantra of balanced regional development,” she said.
However, Mr Cullen strongly defended the time frame yesterday, saying that 10 years was a relatively short time span given the scale of investment.
He added that the Rail Corridor would be an integral part of the nationwide road and rail upgrade contained in Transport 21.
The overall public transport plan incorporates the purchase of 187 new railcars and carriages, which will come on stream in 2007.
The minister said that the upgrade of the rail network would lead to a service each hour on the Dublin-Cork route and a service every hour at peak times on the Galway and Limerick routes.
The minister also said there would be more frequent services on all mainline rail routes.
Urban bus services in the provincial cities will also be improved with the addition of new quality bus corridors.
But Liam Tobin of the National Bus and Railworkers’ Union said that the number of buses provided for in Dublin was seriously inadequate.
Describing the plan as short-sighted, he said: “Every week the problems of under capacity are increasing. Buses are becoming jammed with passengers and commuters are growing frustrated and disillusioned,” he said.
The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) said the transport plan will have major benefits for the growth of regional tourism if implemented within deadlines.
“Adequate access is needed to ensure that key regions in Ireland benefit from our tourism success. Efficient road and rail networks will assist all regions grow their tourism potential,” said IHF chief executive John Power.
Irish Congress of Trade Unions general secretary David Begg welcomed the emphasis placed by the plan on public transport.
“However, Congress also believes that any contract issued under the plan should require the winning bidder to be in full compliance with labour law, health and safety, equality legislation, trade union recognition and tax matters,” he said.
Ryanair called for the cancellation of the €1.5bn Dublin Airport Metro, which it claims would accommodate less than 25% of passengers travelling to or from Dublin Airport, and for the money to be used to either expand the M50 motorway or build much needed hospitals and schools.
Calling on the Government to stop wasting billions on unnecessary facilities, Ryanair chief executive, Michael O’Leary called the metro plans “the latest vanity project for the Department of Transport, the people who brought us Dublin Airport where the passengers don’t fit, the Port Tunnel where the lorries don’t fit, and the M50 where the cars don’t fit.”
SIPTU national industrial secretary Michael Halpenny said the Transport Minister Martin Cullen had failed to properly address gridlock in Dublin.
He said the transport plan also failed to adequately address the need for a full bus service throughout the country and the vital role of transport workers in the project.
The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) described the Government’s national transport plan as a very positive step for the country’s future.
CIF director general Liam Kelleher said: “However, while ensuring value for money and budgetary certainty, radical changes to public procurement methods must be avoided as this could disrupt the rhythm of the planned implementation.”
The Irish Rural Link (IRL) chief executive Seamus Boland said an integrated travel information system is long overdue, particularly in context of what is available in other EU countries.
“It’s simply vital that anyone around the country is able to access information on their transport options easily,” he said.
Dublin Chamber of Commerce chief executive Gina Quin said the Government plan was bold and ambitious but noted that a weak past record on delivering projects on time.
She particularly welcomed plans for a Metro to Dublin airport, further LUAS lines and a suburban rail interconnector.
Irish Tourist Industry Confederation chairperson Catherine Reilly welcomed the overall thrust of the plan, particularly the improvements announced for the western regions.
“This will greatly improve the distribution of tourism to the regions, most notably in the western counties which were shown in a recent ITIC study to be suffering declines in overseas visitors, mainly due to a fall-off in motoring visitors from Britain and mainland Europe,” Ms Reilly said.
However, she expressed disappointment that the plan does not include measures to improve air access into the regions.
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