Fergus O'Dowd
Question:972 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Minister for Transport the progress to date in providing a railway station on the north side of Drogheda. [21456/04]
View answerWednesday, 29 September 2004
Questions (793, 794)
Written answers
I refer the Deputy to my response to an identical question on 27 April last. The situation since then is unchanged. The location of stations on the rail network is a matter for the board of Irish Rail.
The company informs me it has no plan, at present, to build a second railway in Drogheda. While I understand that Irish Rail has had some representations regarding a second station at the north side of the town, there are some concerns from a technical perspective about the close proximity of the two stations. In any event, a new station would have to be supported by high-density development within its immediate area.
Fergus O'Dowd
Question:973 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Minister for Transport the progress in providing a railway station in Dunleer County Louth. [21457/04]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my response to an identical question on 27 April last. The situation since then is unchanged. The location of stations on the rail network is a matter for Irish Rail.
The company informs me that it has examined the case for re-opening Dunleer station on a number of occasions in the past. A review of the Dublin suburban rail strategy conducted on behalf of the company, concluded that the station would only have very modest daily boardings given the population of the area. However, I understand that a new development plan has been approved for Dunleer, which involves significant population growth. While I understand that Irish Rail has not yet seen the revised development plan, the company has indicated that it is prepared to re-examine its position regarding the re-opening of the station if the plan is adopted and funding can be provided from developers.