Rail Services.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 July 2004

Wednesday, 7 July 2004

Questions (104, 105, 106)

Dan Boyle

Question:

76 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Transport if he expects the proposed new western rail line to cover all its annual running costs from fare collection. [20547/04]

Michael Ring

Question:

103 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Transport the plans he has to progress the western rail corridor in view of the strategic rail review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20302/04]

Joe Sherlock

Question:

137 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Transport when he expects to receive the report of the working group evaluating the potential for the phased reopening of the Sligo-Cork rail route; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20434/04]

Written answers

Minister for Transport (Mr. Brennan)

I propose to take Question Nos. 76, 103 and 137 together.

I recently established an expert working group to carry out a through examination of the western rail corridor proposal and to examine the potential for reopening the line. The working group held its inaugural meeting on 14 June last under the chairmanship of Mr. Pat McCann, chief executive of Jurys Doyle Hotel, and it included county mangers, directors of the regional authorities and representatives of city and county development boards, the Western Development Commission, West-on-Track, the inter-county rail committee, Iarnród Éireann, the Railway Procurement Agency and my Department.

The working group will examine and evaluate all aspects of the western rail corridor proposal, including the costs and benefits of the proposal; the travel demand that gives rise to the proposal; how such a project might be funded, and where the proposal stands in the context of the findings of the national spatial strategy, the strategic rail review, the regional planning guidelines, relevant county and city development and land use plans, the submissions put forward in relation to the proposal and the current and proposed road investment programmes in the vicinity of the line.

In my address to the group in its inaugural meeting, I specifically made the point that, while I would wish it to conclude its deliberations as quickly as possible, I was not going to put a time limit on how long this might be. This is a matter for the group. As far as the cost for this proposal is concerned, this is an issue that should await the conclusions of the group.

Question No. 77 answered with QuestionNo. 39.

Question No. 78 answered with QuestionNo. 55.

Question No. 79 answered with QuestionNo. 54.