€8 billion proposed for railways

The "most comprehensive re- view of rail services ever undertaken in the Republic", to be published today, is unlikely to be radical, and its recommendations may disappoint rail campaigners.

Decisions on a number of issues, including new and reopened services across the State, are to be consigned to "phase two" of the report's recommended 20-year strategy.

The report gives priority to maximising the capacity of current routes in which significant investment in rail safety, track improvements and new carriages are noted.

The report says plenty of additional capacity on existing lines between Dublin and the regional cities could be attained by adding new trains and providing separate facilities for mainline services through commuter districts.

It also recommends the development of Connolly Station in Dublin as a central hub and interchange between regional and commuter services.

It foresees investment of €8 billion over the coming 20 years, about €3.5 billion to €4 billion in phase one. The figures are not far removed from the current level of investment of €400 million a year.

Decisions on new services to and around regional cities are likely to be consigned to phase two, which is not expected to begin for another 10 years and would be subject to economic considerations at that time.

Included in this category are commuter routes between Navan, Co Meath, and Dublin City; Middleton, Co Cork, and Cork City; Limerick City and Shannon, Co Clare; the western mainline corridor between Limerick/Ennis via Galway to Sligo; and commuter services between Collooney, Co Sligo, and Sligo Town.

There was speculation yesterday that the report may make a special case for non-light rail investment in commuter services in Cork and Dublin.

However, the report is likely to disappoint campaigners in many regions, who awaited its publication in the hope that it would recommend their towns be immediately reconnected to the rail network.

In Europe huge resources are being put into expanding railway networks. Lines are being reopened, ranging from the major €5 billion high-speed line from Cologne to Frankfurt (the 140-mile trip will soon be done in just over an hour) to the reopening of secondary lines such as Grasse to Cannes, in the south of France.

In terms of freight services, the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, has recently commented that he envisages Irish rail freight transport being opened up to competition ahead of the EU deadline of 2006.

The Irish railway network reached a peak just before the foundation of the State in 1921, with over 3,500 miles of track on the island. Many lines were closed in the 1950s and 1960s. Iarnród Éireann now operates services on under 1,000 route miles.