Hopes for tourism and business boost as Limerick-Galway railway reopens

THE Limerick to Galway rail gateway has been hailed as a huge boost to tourism and commerce in the West of Ireland.

It is the first time in more than 30 years that passenger trains travel between the two cities.

The €107 million, three-year development, involved the construction of three new railway stations and the laying of 58 kilometres of track.

Five trains a day will travel each way, six days a week, with four on Sundays.

Transport Minister Noel Dempsey, launching the rail link yesterday, said: “I believe this Western Corridor is particularly important as it connects the two gateways of Limerick and Galway with the hub of Ennis.

“Long-term strategic planning is even more important today to ensure that we learn from the lessons of the past.”

Mr Dempsey said the opening of the Limerick to Galway line was only the first phase of reopening the entire Western Rail Corridor. But the two remaining phases cannot proceed as planned due to the cutbacks.

“The next step will be for Iarnród Éireann to undertake a detailed evaluation of phases two and three with a view to arriving at precise costs to undertake the works. I know there have been calls for work on these phases to commence immediately.

“However, we all have to face the reality that the current funding environment is very difficult and it will not be possible to progress all projects in Transport 21 in accordance with the ambitious timescale envisaged at its launch.”

Two-carriage commuter trains with a capacity for 120 people will initially be used and depending on demand, extra carriages can be added.

Iarnród Éireann business development manager Jim Gallivan said: “We can increase it to a four piece which would give us a capacity of 220. We will see how demand picks up. When working on the timetable, we worked it around our existing business between Limerick and Ennis as this is going so well, we did not want to disrupt.”

The new rail link will serve the existing stations at Limerick, Ennis, Athenry and Galway as well as new stations built at Sixmilebridge, Gort, Ardrahan and Craughwell.

Labour’s Jan O’Sullivan wants Moyross brought into the link as the railway line passes by the estate which is part of the Limerick regeneration designated area. “I believe there should be a station in Moyross because it is one of the key objectives of the northside regeneration strategy.

“The track goes literally through the Moyross estate and it would be very simple to put a small station there to allow the people of Moyross to commute in and out of the city and travel to Galway and Ennis is they so wish. It would also be a real signal to the people of Moyross that the various bodies of state actually are determined to implement the regeneration programme.”

Shannon Development chief executive Vincent Cunnane said the mid-west and Galway are huge tourist regions.

“Now we will be able to link them. We are now working with Rail Tours. From Connemara now down to the south of the Shannon Estuary, we will be able to cover that by rail. On the industry side, a lot of things can happen as it will connect great hubs, Limerick, Shannon to Galway and I think there are great opportunities there as well.”