As we reach the halfway mark in European Year of Rail, serious shortcomings with Government plans are fast becoming apparent, according to Úna Dunphy of People Before Profit. The reaction of campaigners to the Government-commissioned EY/Mott report on the Western Rail Corridor in January, was to immediately challenge the report’s flaws, not in any flimsy manner but by funding their own analysis researched by a highly experienced academic.
Two events in June could have serious implications, not just for the West On Track Campaign making significant progress on the Western Rail Corridor, but also for the South East on Track campaign, channelling rail freight to the Port of Waterford and Rosslare Port and Foynes Port, Limerick.
The report, freshly published this week by Dr John Bradley, strips bare the Government’s one of January on multiple levels. Strengthening the case for opening up other routes, which are not dependent on the Eastern corridor, this 214 page report comes 11 days after Dublin Port announced on June 10 last – with no advance consultation- that it could no longer facilitate the long-running rail freight service that is utilised by several key West of Ireland industries. Government Ministers are left with no plan B and, if anything, have been working against campaigners. Successive Governments of FF/FG have allowed the rail network to dwindle to below skeletal service, and then scratched their heads when Dublin Port pull out of an essential Rail freight service for the West.
“Establishment Ireland can only steer the ship when steady”; says Ms Dunphy, “they are woeful at foreseeing issues or pushing progressive policies. The writing was on the wall for all to change once Brexit happened. They have done nothing in the meantime to address the rural transport issue, or to work on opening up rural railfreight routes to tackle emissions”.
This should be grasped as an opportunity for rail transport to be reinstated from Rosslare/Waterford/Tipperary/Limerick/Galway/Mayo, opening up huge opportunities for both passenger routes with realistic timetables, as well as rail freight, to take rail traffic away from the Dublin lines and aid the economies and connectivity of the South East and Western Rail Corridor.
The Bradley Report can be accessed here:
