KENNY WELCOMES ANNOUNCEMENT OF SHORTER RAIL JOURNEYS

Posted on November 13, 2012 4:18 PM   |   Permanent Link   

Seán Kenny, the Dublin Bay North Labour Party T.D. and Oireachtas Transport Committee member, has welcomed the news that Iarnrod Éireann is increasing the speed limit on sections of the network early in the New Year, as part of its efforts to get people out of their cars and on to public transport.

"Changes to speed limits on railway lines between Dublin and the main towns and cities will mean a drop in journey times by up to 20 minutes. I understand that Dublin to Cork, Galway, Waterford, Limerick, Westport and Kerry will benefit from this change, which will allow trains to travel at up to 160kmh; 40kmh faster than motorways. I hope that these changes are approved by the National Transport Authority.

"These changes are possible because of a more targeted maintenance programme across the rail network, including Kildare, Portarlington and Limerick Junction, which have recently been undergoing upgrade work. The works were funded out of existing maintenance budgets, and I believe that further investment is planned.

"While rail journey times remain competitive, there is no doubt that the motorway investment has provided us with a competitive challenge. Irish Rail trains are equipped to deliver 160kmh speeds and above, so the key to journey-time improvement is the network. Further improvements would require investment, and this has already been highlighted by Irish Rail as a key medium-term priority.

"I hope these changes will attract more people to use the rail services, which will help make the case for further rail improvements. A strategic report published earlier this year said if €250m was invested over the next five years, journey times could drop to just two hours on services to Galway, Limerick and Waterford, and two hours and 30 minutes on the Cork route. The investment would establish rail as a solid option for people making these trips."