The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said yesterday a convincing case needed to be made for a new rail link to the west.
Speaking at the inaugural meeting of a working group established to evaluate the potential of a western rail corridor (WRC), linking Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Cork, the Minister said the Strategic Rail Review did not include the western rail corridor in its list of projects recommended for investment.
Mr Brennan said: "I declined to accept that finding as final. The future of the WRC is very much on my agenda. I believe it warrants a longer and harder look, and I am committed to a policy of rebalancing the west coast with the east coast.
"If the WRC is to be part of the now expanding rail system, this working group must prove the case. If the numbers stack up, if the social and economic cases are proven, we can reach the stage when real, lasting decisions on investment can be made."
