Latest news with #All-IslandStrategicRailReview
Extra.ie
5 days ago
- Business
- Extra.ie
Campaigners fume as Irish Rail backtracks on 35km greenway
Campaigners say they have been left deeply frustrated after Irish Rail objected to a disused rail line being turned into a 35km cycleway. Over €1.2million has already been spent on public consultation for the project, but Irish Rail says that it may need the rail line because of an increased demand for train travel. In 2014, Sligo County Council approved a plan to build a greenway on a 35.5-kilometre stretch of railway track between the towns of Collooney and Bellaghy in the county. Campaigners say they have been left deeply frustrated after Irish Rail objected to a disused rail line being turned into a 35km cycleway. Pic: Supplied The track has not been used since 1975. Even though the project received €1.6million in funding, €1.2million of which has already been spent, Irish Rail submitted an objection, citing growing demand for rail services in the region. Sligo Greenway Co-op, which has over 800 members, stated yesterday that it was 'deeply saddened and frustrated' to learn of the project's lack of progress, given that the group believed it had the government's support. The project has received €300,000 from the Department of Transport and over €1 million from Transport Infrastructure Ireland. Over €1.2million has already been spent on public consultation for the project. Pic: Supplied 'We have heard Irish Rail CEO Jim Meade say he is following Government policy, while Junior Minister Seán Canney says his hands are tied because this is an Irish Rail decision,' the Co-op stated. 'This is particularly confusing given that at a recent meeting, Mr Canney assured our delegation he was fully supporting the Sligo Greenway. 'Thousands of people are ultimately affected by this decision over the next few years. Meanwhile, communities in the northwest continue to be left behind, with nobody seeming to take responsibility. All we want is honesty and transparency for our communities.' The track has not been used since 1975. Pic: Supplied Sligo-Drumcliff Councillor Marie Casserly, who supports a greenway, questioned how public money could be spent planning for a project that went nowhere. 'Irish Rail gave us their blessing to use the land, we got funding under the assumption there was nothing to stand in the way of a greenway and then without any consultation with Sligo County Council, Irish Rail lodged an 11th-hour objection,' Ms Casserly told The greenway co-op also questioned why Irish Rail lodged an objection on the last day of the project's third public consultation in December, even though plans to reopen the rail line were not in the company's long-term rail plan for 2050. Irish Rail owns the stretch of track and has stated that its use is being strongly considered in 'any first review of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review'. When asked when this review would take place, an Irish Rail spokesperson said this was a matter for the Department of Transport. Irish Rail pointed to increased demands on its existing services in the West of Ireland, particularly along the Limerick to Galway route, as a reason to hold onto the rail line. 'Our first consideration has always been based on an assessment of public policy as it relates to the potential for reinstatement of an alignment as a rail route, and this informs our position on this matter,' a spokesperson said. 'It is not without precedent that the public policy position on potential rail reinstatement on closed alignments has changed. For example, the local authorities in the South East had been up to quite recently progressing a plan to develop a greenway on the Waterford to Rosslare line, but are no longer pursuing this, given the support now in place for rail reinstatement.' The rail line between Waterford and Rosslare Harbour closed in 2010, and its reopening was recommended in the 2024 All-Ireland Strategic Rail Review. A Department of Transport spokesperson, speaking on behalf of Junior Minister Seán Canney, told 'It would be in all our interests to protect the existing railway line and develop a greenway parallel to the rail line'. Greenway campaigners have opposed this idea, claiming that it would require the compulsory purchase of a significant amount of land. Cllr Casserly said: 'That is a non-starter. We can't put the greenway in people's back gardens.'
Irish Independent
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
‘It is sloppy' – train delays criticised as Irish Rail data lays bare extent of rail punctuality problems
The data released under freedom of information shows that last October, the 5.40am Cork to Dublin train had 26 trips in total. Of those, just three arrived in Dublin on time and two were early. Of the 21 that were late, 15 were late by five minutes or more. A train is only considered to be late by Irish Rail if it arrives 10 or more minutes after its scheduled arrival time, a metric set by the National Transport Authority (NTA). If people don't trust the train to be on time, they will take the car Fianna Fáil MEP for Ireland South Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, who compiled the data, said Irish Rail's own punctuality figures are 'flawed and designed to hide tardy timekeeping'. Ms Ní Mhurchú, who is a negotiator on passenger rights in the European Parliament, has called for a switch to the metric used in Switzerland, whereby a train is deemed late if it arrives three or more minutes after it was scheduled. 'When a train is late, it is late. Clearly some delays are minor delays. That doesn't excuse them. We need to engender the same mentality in our rail services that the Swiss have. Be on time, every time,' she said. 'If people don't trust the train to be on time, they will take the car. That is why we cannot be happy with a 75pc or 80pc punctuality rating. 'It is sloppy and unnecessary at a time when we need people to trust in their national train service. 'Trains in Switzerland are reaching over 93pc punctuality rates and they only classify a train as on time when it reaches its destination within three minutes of its scheduled arrival – unlike Irish Rail who are allowing 10 minutes leeway before considering a train to be late.' There was a more positive timekeeping record for the 5.45am Tralee to Dublin service, Ms Ní Mhurchú said, with just two arrivals late by more than five minutes out of 18 journeys in January last year. In the same month, the 8.49am Tipperary to Dublin train was late 11 times out of 26 journeys and late by five or more minutes on four of those occasions. Last December, the 5.59am Wexford to Dublin service was late 13 times out of 15 trips. An Irish Rail spokesperson welcomed Ms Ní Mhurchú's comments and said Swiss governments have prioritised rail investment, while for decades Ireland 'saw dramatic under-investment in its rail network'. 'Iarnród Éireann's punctuality performance measures are determined by the National Transport Authority (NTA), under our Public Service Contract (PSC) with the NTA, and any changes in these measures are a matter for the NTA,' they said. 'Under the current PSC contract, the NTA determines punctuality on the Iarnród Éireann network to be measured on the following basis: Dart, Dublin Commuter and Cork Commuter Routes on time or within five minutes of time; Intercity and Regional Routes on time or within 10 minutes of time. 'The current investment programme and our ambitions under the All-Island Strategic Rail Review will – amongst other measures to improve frequency, capacity and speeds – see more double-track and four-tracking, and we welcome Ms Ní Mhurchú's support for the scale of that ambition.'
Irish Examiner
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Peter Horgan: Cork Luas debate is no tale of two cities. There's just one city — and that's Cork
The kneejerk reaction of any southsider or northsider in Cork when a project is announced is invariably, or so many commentators would have you believe, to narrow the gaze and jab a finger at what 'them over there' got. They. Them. Norries. Southside snobs. It betrays what the real issue must be for us all — namely, does Cork City benefit? As a whole? The rallying cry for many, many years has been that the northside is forgotten while the southside yielded all. But does that really track? Yes, there are announcements and plans and reports and earnest soundbites but is that actually borne out? Public consultation is now open on the proposed route of the 18km Cork Luas light rail line from Ballincollig to Mahon. See link at the foot of this article to learn more and have your say. Let's confine ourselves for now to transport and look at what Michael Moynihan, whose writing I am glued to weekly, highlighted in the recent announcement of the proposed Cork Luas light rail route — a 'Cork Luas South' as he deemed it. The east-west spine proposed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland does stray northside for a short spell along MacCurtain St and that has been picked up as a slight against the northside, with good reason. East-west is the only game in town However, if a real gap has emerged in this Luas preferred route it is the widening absence of a significant southern presence. No spur to Cork Airport to reduce the congestion on Airport Hill and Kinsale Rd. No vision to see a route barrelling beyond Mahon Point and flexing right into the centre of the Link — Korean style — before shooting out to Carrigaline. No consideration of looking to alleviate Douglas traffic or Togher traffic. All this despite in 2023, the All-Island Strategic Rail Review establishing that 'The Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy includes proposals for a tram route between Mahon and Ballincollig, which in the longer term could extend south to Cork Airport and Carrigaline.' Michael Moynihan highlighted historic northside-southside tram services including Blackpool-Douglas, Tivoli-Blackrock — and, here in March 1931, Summerhill to Sunday's Well. All long gone. East-west is the only game in town now. Irish Examiner Archive This writer made a submission to that All-Island Strategic Rail Review to say it should be changed from 'could' to 'must' but Monday's launch showed that the only game in town at present is east to west. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't advocate for the routes to be incorporated in plans. For all the fanfare around the Luas route, it still doesn't have a final budget line and no real timeline. Those sitting in traffic south and north of the Lee on Monday, hearing the news of the route, will hardly have been overjoyed because it's not happening anytime soon. Why wait? Why not at least show where a spur could happen? M28, M20, the airport, and Ringaskiddy The M28 motorway now has Cabinet approval and yet there are mutterings that, by the time it is built, it will be obsolete for the requirements the port will have in Ringaskiddy. Why not a mixture of heavy rail linking Cork Airport to the port to continue on to link on to the often talked-about but yet to be realised, M20. If we were truly southernly blessed with preferential bias on the southside why wasn't the M28 looped across to Cork Airport to allow such a Luas add-on, rather than running a coach and four through the communities of Mount Oval and Maryborough? Maryborough Hill, which has this lofty vision associated with it, is still, in road terminology, a local tertiary road. Yet we pummel the residents with heavy traffic layered upon rat runs through existing and new housing areas. Commuter rail will serve the northside We have no commuter rail on the southside of the city. In his column last week, Michael Moynihan scrolls back to the old days of Blackpool to Douglas and Blackrock to Tivoli. AJ Cronin with a simple two-word mission statement as Iarnród Éireann keeps pushing for higher frequency train services on the three lines between Cork and Midleton, Mallow, and Cobh, and all points in between — including new stations. Picture: David Creedon But the announcement and opening on Monday of the new platform at Kent Station and the continued rollout of the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme doesn't benefit any sort of travel, sustainable, active, or otherwise, in the southside. Because you are driving to get to the train. From this southsider, it's right and proper that the Cork commuter rail project is rolled out with speed. Trains from Blackpool, Blarney, and Monard The impressive zeal with which AJ Cronin, Iarnród Éireann delivery manager for Cork, has brought forward platform openings and signalised works might not mean much to the casual observer but it allows the provision of the 10-minute frequency between Mallow and Cobh. That's not the northside, but it includes new stations to support the planned increased services at Blarney, Monard, Blackpool/Kilbarry, Tivoli, Dunkettle, Carrigtwohill West, Water Rock, and Ballynoe, some of which are. Iarnród Éireann Kent Station manager Ray Foley at the new €23m Platform 6, part of the first phase of heavy rail investment in the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme. Picture: Jason Clarke We need those stations in Blackpool, Blarney, and Monard in order to open up the population there linking into Kent and dispersing them to major hubs of employment like Mahon Point, Ballincollig, and Ringaskiddy. 'Living in Cobh, working in Ballincollig' A 10-minute frequency is needed because living in Mallow or Cobh and working in Ballincollig or Mahon Point is a real thing and those people are stuck in Dunkettle every day. What side of the river does Dunkettle fall on, by the way? On more immediate transport options on the southside, the timelines are still sketchy at best. Where are our park and rides? One on the southside, and you're practically into town already if you were to utilise it from most places south of the Lee. No park and ride in Shannonpark, none emerging beyond Wilton, none to alleviate any side of the Lee. As a city councillor, I am responsible for continuing to advocate for them to be built, but one must only look at the traffic daily in the morning and evening at Bloomfield causing the situation of congestion to be so bad that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (remember them from earlier?) are now forced to roll out tow-away services in an attempt to keep traffic moving when collisions occur. Douglas & Carrigaline wait for Bus Connects Douglas and Carrigaline, the two towns south of the river ignored by the Luas, are awaiting the rollout of Cork Bus Connects — but not the one you think of. Bus Connects is much more than the sustainable transport corridors tied up in pre-CPO correspondence. Rather, it is ensuring the frequency infrastructure is put in place to show people the benefits of public transport: Moving the 207 to an every 20-minute service rather than the current times; Moving the 223 to every half hour rather than every hour, and double deckering the service, to support harbour towns such as Passage along into Rochestown and Douglas. The congestion that gnarls up the southside can be reduced if we frontload our public transport options but we're looking at 2027 for this to occur. I'm not one to constantly polarise the supposed split in our city but too many politicians have hijacked it for too long. It's lazy and simplistic and belies the truth that we should be shouting, like we do in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and hope to do in Croker this summer — for Cork. All of Cork. Let's work to see a better infrastructure that serves everyone. Otherwise Dublin will just sit back and laugh. And who wants that? • Peter Horgan is a Cork City councillor in the South East Ward for Labour, and serves as chairman of the council's transport and mobility strategic policy committee • The public consultation on the proposed Cork light rail route is open at You have until Monday June 9 at 5.30pm to respond.
