Niamh Smyth
Question:19. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding will be provided for the re-establishment of the rail line from Dublin to Kingscourt, County Cavan. [15164/19]
View answerTuesday, 2 April 2019
Questions (19)
Written answers
I thank the Deputy for her question and her interest in this issue.
As she is aware the maintenance, renewal and operation of the rail network is a matter for Iarnród Éireann and I understand that you have raised this matter directly with the company in recent months.
Project Ireland 2040 states that the priority funding objective in relation to mainline rail is the maintenance and renewal of the existing network so that it continues to provide a safe and reliable infrastructure that enables the provision of quality rail services for passengers across the country. This means ensuring ‘steady state’ levels of investment in our rail infrastructure each year for the foreseeable future and requires a significant and recurring capital investment of around €200 million from the taxpayer every year.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the funding I have secured under Project Ireland 2040 means that we are in a position to provide this steady state level of funding and this is significant and very welcome progress.
It will deliver benefits to passengers across the network by allowing for increased levels of investment in things like signalling, ballast cleaning and track relaying which in turn improve passenger journey experience and can lead to better journey times.
These improvements will be made possible by the funding committed under Project Ireland 2040.
Another of the commitments contained within Project Ireland 2040 is to continue to keep under review the potential extension of the existing M3/Parkway Line northwards to Navan. The next review of the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area must be completed by 2021 and that review will reconsider the population and commuting forecasts in order to determine whether any revised Strategy might include such an extension.
Currently the Kingscourt area is served by bus based public transport and I note that the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area categorises the M3/N2 route as a core regional bus network and the area will therefore benefit from the planned improvements along that corridor under Project Ireland 2040.
I can therefore confirm to the Deputy that there is no funding allocated under Project Ireland 2040 for the disused Kingscourt rail line.
Question No. 20 answered with Question No. 16.