GOVERNMENT LAUNCH: Iarnród Éireann should sell or lease some of its property to part-fund the national rail programme, the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said yesterday.
Mr Brennan said he had instructed the State rail company to examine how it might realise €50-€100 million from its property in the next five years.
Stating that the retrenchment of the railway network had to stop, Mr Brennan said the Government had endorsed the "broad thrust" of the Strategic Rail Review report, which calls for an investment of €8.5 billion in the system in the next 20 years.
But while Mr Brennan said elements of the plan should be brought forward to improve and expand services quickly, he said the question of funding would require "careful consideration" due to the squeeze on the Exchequer finances.
He accepted that money was not in place to implement the plan, but said he was discussing the development of "multi-annual budgets" which would embrace road and rail initiatives.
Mr Brennan rejected criticism by the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, about the level of expenditure required to fund all of the road and transport plans he was proposing. "I think you have to have vision in regard to infrastructure," he said. While the Government would commit about €500 million annually to rail investment in the next five years, he said property owned by Iarnród Éireann should be used to part-fund the project. In addition, public-private partnerships and development levies should also be examined.
"I'm told Iarnród Éireann has excess property. I believe that Iarnród Éireann's property should be converted into carriages, tracks and signals," he said.
"I want to see Irish Rail's assets not in bricks and mortar." While negotiations with the trade unions in CIE on the break-up of the group were proceeding, Mr Brennan said he was committed to a plan to dissolve the group and establish Iarnród Éireann and its sister companies - Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus - as separate entities.
The rail plan would be implemented by a "fresh board" with a new mandate, Mr Brennan said. He had asked Iarnród Éireann to develop a "prioritised" investment programme in the period to 2008. This would include the upgrading of commuter services on the Dublin commuter networks, and faster journey times on intercity services. The short-term outcome of the continued investment programme would be greater capacity, frequency and reliability on existing services. This would be achieved through the purchase of rolling stock, some of which is already under order, and by lengthening platforms in stations to facilitate longer trains.
Mr Brennan's objective was to free-up commuter lines so that they did not interfere with mainline traffic. This would require improvements in signalling and the construction of additional track on some existing lines.
Mr Brennan ruled out the closure of any rail lines or freight services. "The retrenchment of the railways has to stop and we have to go for growth," he said. "I will not be presiding over the closure of any railway lines." The Minister said he was in favour of a new commuter service linking Blarney, Midleton, Cobh and Cork. This was the subject of a separate report published yesterday by Iarnród Éireann.
However, Mr Brennan said it was for local authorities, residents, business interests and Iarnród Éireann to make a "convincing case" for a new western corridor linking Sligo with Cork.
It would also be possible to reopen a line between Athlone and Mullingar in Co Westmeath. This would free capacity on the Athlone-Dublin commuter link.