US rail workers set the line to follow here

I READ with interest your report on the growing delays connecting Midleton to the Cobh-Cork rail line (July 20).

I was struck by the way modern technology and modern attitudes have impacted on projects of this kind.

When they were building the transcontinental railway across America, Chinese, Mormon and Irish labourers were able to install between five and 10 miles of track per day. This would mean about two or three days to connect Midleton to the Cobh-Cork line.

Now 140 years later, once the contract for the reconnection of the line is signed, it looks as if it will still take about 700 days to complete 10 miles of track along an existing railway reservation — a 200% decrease in productivity.

Is this a good example of the progress that is usually made by ‘tiger’ economies?

What does it take for the transport minister to energise this process and roll the clock back to something even vaguely approximating the amazingly higher productivity levels of the 1860s?

Donal Fellows

Cois na hAbhainn

Bailick Road

Midleton

Co Cork