WORKING GROUP BEGINS TASK OF EVALUATING POTENTIAL FOR PHASED OPENING OF SLIGO-CORK RAIL ROUTE
The Minister for Transport, Séamus Brennan T.D., said today (Monday, 14th June 2004) that the phased re-opening of the Western Rail Corridor could only be achieved if the aspirations of all involved are backed up by rigorous assessment of the project, practical commitments and the delivery of a convincing case that would justify the long-term major investment of taxpayers' money.
Minister Brennan was speaking in Galway where he addressed the inaugural meeting of the Expert Working Group established to fully evaluate the potential of the Western Rail Corridor as part of the rail link that would connect Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Cork and also open up rail services to towns along the now largely abandoned railway route.
The Working Group is being chaired by Ballymote, Co. Sligo born Mr. Pat McCann, Chief Executive of Jurys Doyle Hotel Group plc.. The membership of the Working Group is made up of County Managers, Directors of the Regional Authorities, representatives of the City and County Development Boards, Western Development Commission, the West-on-Track and Intercounty Rail Committee campaign groups, Iarnród Éireann, Railway Procurement Agency and Department of Transport (full list attached).
The Minister said the Working Group has been charged with examining and evaluating all aspects of the Western Rail Corridor proposal, including the costs and benefits of the proposal; the travel demand that gives rise to the proposal; how such a project might be funded, and where the Corridor stands in the context of the findings of the National Spatial Strategy, the Strategic Rail Review, the Regional Planning Guidelines, relevant County and City Development Plans,the submissions put forward in favour of the project and the current and proposed road investment programmes.
In his address to the meeting Minister Brennan said: "This Government is committed to working with the Regions to develop infrastructure that fits in particularly well with the aims of the National Spatial Strategy. The Strategic Rail Review did not include the Western Rail Corridor in its list of projects recommended for invest. I declined to accept that finding as final. The future of the Western Rail Corridor is very much on my agenda. I believe it warrants a longer and harder look. I am committed to a policy of rebalancing the West coast with the East Coast. In achieving this, the Western Rail Corridor can play a central strategic role. If the Western Rail Corridor is to be part of the now expanding rail system then the members of this Working Group must evaluate and prove the case."
Minister Brennan added: "It is time for realism, honesty and straight-talking. This line will not get built purely on sentiment or emotion. The reality is that if the re-opening of the line is going to happen then all of us have to come at it in a hard headed, practical way. It will be the task of this Working Group to rigorously assess all aspects of the proposal. At one level the capital cost of re-opening sections of the Corridor is the issue. At another level there is the whole issue of the level of annual subvention that may be required year after year. The possible re-opening of sections of the line must also be rigorously assessed and justified in the context of the whole motorway development. Over the next few years' construction will begin on significant upgrading of the road network between Tuam and Galway (23km); Oranmore-Gort (27km); Gort-Crusheen (22 km); and Collooney-Charlestown (29km) to name but a few of the major schemes planned.
Between these schemes and other road projects that will be underway in the BMW Region the investment in roads over the next four years will be well over €1billion in the Region. We must also take heed of the massive investment that is going into the existing railways and train services.
Significant improvements will take place on rail services from Dublin to Sligo and to Ballina and Westport. Iarnród Éireann's rolling stock acquisition programme will allow for the introduction of state of the art, modern railcars on these lines while a €60 million network-resignalling project is proposed for the Ballina and Westport lines. These improvements, together with the completion of the continuous welded track programme, will lead to an increase in the quality and frequency of services provided by Iarnród Éireann."
Minister Brennan said that in looking honestly and in a practical way at the possibilities of re-opening sections of the line there must be clear cut and convincing cases made on social grounds and on economic grounds. "We need to crunch the figures and reach a stage where we know exactly the level of investment involved. This can best be achieved by hard work, commitment and dedication on the part of this Working Group. I have said it before and I will say it again today. This Group will not be a talking shop. I know it will be focussed, proactive and driven by a determination to take the hard decisions and to make realistic and achievable recommendations. "The Minister said that if the Western Rail Corridor is to re-open, then it would happen in stages.
"This is the way forward. Looking at the possibilities of re-opening sections of the Corridor on a phased basis. I know many will argue that we should build the Western Rail Corridor and the people will come to support it. But remember this is taxpayer's money we are talking about investing. The taxpayer, whether in Mayo, Sligo, Galway or Dublin or Kerry, will not thank any of us if we build it and sufficient people do not come to make it feasible. That is why we must be careful, prudent and practical in the approach we take. If the numbers stack up, if the social and economic cases are proven, and if the aspirations are backed up by hard, practical commitment, then we reach the stage when real, lasting decisions on investment can be made."
Ends
Further information:
Tom Rowley (01) 6041089 087 8124723
Veronica Scanlan (01) 6041087 087 6430622
Membership of the Western Rail Corridor Expert Working Group:
Chairman Mr. Pat McCann
County Councils
Clare County Manager Mr. Alec Fleming
Galway County Manager Mr. Tom Kavanagh
Mayo County Manager Mr. Des Mahon
Roscommon County Manager Mr. John Tiernan
Sligo County Manager Mr. Hubert Kearns
Limerick County Manager Mr. Edmond Gleeson
Cork County Manager Mr. Maurice Moloney
Regional Authorities
Mr. Jim McGovern, Director, West Regional Authority
Mr. Thomas Kirby, Director, Mid West Regional Authority
Mr. Matt Donnelly, Director, Border Regional Authority
Mr. John Mc Aleer, Director, South West Regional Authority
City and County and Development Boards
Mr. Frank Dawson, Galway County Development Board
Western Development Commission
Ms. Lisa McAllister, Chief Executive
Inter County Rail Committee
Fr. Michéal MacGréil SJ, Westport, Co. Mayo
Mr. Terry Byrne, Circular Road Sligo
West on Track
Mr. Martin Cunniffe, Claremorris, Co. Mayo
Councillor Tom McHugh, Tuam, Co. Galway
Ms. Helen Rochford-Brennan, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo
Iarnród Éireann
Mr. Michael Reidy, Manager, Programmes and Projects Unit
Mr. Tom Finn, Manager, Strategic Planning Unit
Railway Procurement Agency
Mr. Robert Leech
Department of Transport
Mr. Ed. O Callaghan
