Vol. 491 No. 3
178 Mr. Higgins (Dublin West) asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she will commit an adequate amount of funding for major upgrading of the passenger train service between Dublin and Maynooth in view of the totally inadequate state of the existing service and the huge and growing population in the areas through which the service passes. [12181/98]
I am very much aware of the investment requirements on the Maynooth line. These have been examined by CIE and by my Department in the context of EU funding. From work done to date it is clear that there are three principal components to the upgrading of this service. The first and most important is an upgrading of signalling in the city centre area to facilitate increased levels of service. The other elements are an upgrading of trackwork, including the doubling of the line from Clonsilla to Maynooth, and the provision of additional rolling stock.
Consultations have begun on the reallocation of the EU funds decommitted from the light rail project. As I have previously indicated in this House, my Department has been working with CIE for some time to identify potentially suitable projects on the Dublin suburban rail network, including the Maynooth line, which could avail of the decommitted EU assistance.
