Mr. Howard Knott:

It is a not a naive question; it is one that is constantly being asked. Why in heaven's name do it? I suspect the primary reason is that the major user of the service in Ballina, a multinational beverage manufacturer, wants to have the lowest possible carbon footprint for its product. It has a policy that its logistics throughout Europe, the Middle East and other markets should use the method of transport with the lowest carbon emissions available. It uses ships and trains rather than trucking routes. That is a fundamental thing. However, the company is not stupid either, and while it uses the rail network, it does not want to be overcharged. It has arisen through very good and fruitful co-operation with Iarnród Éireann and the freight forwarders involved that the company has struck a price for the job that, based on full trains, is more or less the same as one would pay for trucking, taking into account a number of other technical benefits. It is on the margin, and it is clear that if the access charges were dropped, costs reduced, trains lengthened and speeds increased, there would be more traffic, and less freight would be put on the roads.