€8.5bn should be spent on rail network
The report said improving the present routes and maximising their capacity should be a priority.
Billed as the most comprehensive study ever undertaken of the rail network, the Strategic Rail Review said development of the rail system should take place in three phases. The majority of the funding from now to 2008 should be centred on upgrading the lines from Dublin to Cork, Limerick, Tralee, Galway, Waterford, Sligo, Rosslare, Westport and Ballina. Dublin suburban and DART services should also be prioritised, the report by Booz Allen Hamilton consultants said.
