Proper rail transport is more vital then ever

IN these straitened times I hope the Government will display courage and vision beyond the next election, specifically by investing in rail transport and in container freight in particular.

We are all aware of the popularity and success of our improved passenger train services — DART and LUAS — but utilisation of capital would be much better if the tracks could carry freight in the off-peak periods.

Trucks have their place for short-haul work and specialised loads, but the days of a man driving a truck with one container from, say, Castlebar to Milan are numbered.