Vol. 524 No. 4
44 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if consideration will be given to the provision of a passenger rail service to Kingscourt, County Cavan, in view of the decision to provide passenger services to Navan, County Meath, and as a freight rail service to Kingscourt already exists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22706/00]
The provision of rail services is a day-to-day matter for Iarnród Éireann.
The recent report published by the Dublin Transportation Office entitled A Platform for Change recommends that a new rail line be constructed off the Maynooth line near Clonsilla via Dunboyne to Navan.
I am informed that the existing Kingscourt-Navan-Drogheda line is only suitable for freight traffic. The "Dublin Suburban Rail Strategic Review" completed in January this year by Ove Arup and Partners on behalf of CIE looked at the possibility of upgrading the freight line from Navan to Dublin via Kingscourt and Drogheda in comparison with other options to link Navan to Dublin. The upgrading of the existing line was not recommended because it would mean a circuitous rail route to Dublin with a journey time of about 75 minutes and, without improvements to the northern suburban line, there would be capacity constraints on the Drogheda-Dublin element of the route. Accordingly Iarnród Éireann has no plans, at present, to upgrade this rail line to passenger carrying standard.
