Railway puts property prices back on track

THERE’S at least one bright speck of light at the end of our darkening economic tunnel. And, yes indeed, it is a train.

The dawning reality that scrapping the country’s lesser-used rail lines in previous decades was a mistake has, quite uniquely in this country, been met by a reversal of policy. Case in point is east Cork’s resurgent rail service. Whereas it had once reached the literal end of the line, it has had a remarkable return journey, after more than 20 years in abeyance, albeit at a cost of some €75 million.

A growing population, rising oil prices, increasing car dependence, traffic congestion and commuter sprawl are factors affecting major Irish cities and towns, and Dublin and Cork at least have responded by re-embracing the virtues, reliability and convenience of rail travel.