Vol. 547 No. 1
201 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she has satisfied herself with the safety of the rolling stock on the Sligo-Dublin rail line; and if Iarnród Éireann will provide new rolling stock on the Sligo-Dublin rail line in 2002. [1562/02]
The safety of the rolling stock in use on any part of the Iarnród Éireann network is an operational matter for that company and I have, therefore, no statutory function in the matter.
I am advised by Iarnród Éireann that all rolling stock, including that utilised on the Dublin-Sligo line, operates within strict safety criteria. New rolling stock has been introduced on rail services to Maynooth, Mullingar and Longford in the past year and this, coupled with the doubling of the line between Dublin and Maynooth, has resulted in the capacity on suburban peak-time services on that route almost doubling. This has allowed for an improvement in the stopping pattern of the Intercity service on the Dublin-Sligo line, resulting in increased capacity for the long distance traveller. Iarnród Éireann have assured me that they keep the issues of rolling stock safety and passenger loading under constant review.
This year Iarnród Éireann will also start taking delivery of 80 diesel railcars to be used mainly on the Dublin outer suburban routes. In addition, Iarnród Éireann will shortly order 67 new mainline carriages for use on intercity routes. These investments, funded by the Government under the national development plan, should further improve the age profile of rolling stock in use on intercity routes, allow a more effective deployment of available rolling stock and alleviate the problem of crowding on some services at peak times.
