Mr. Jim Meade:

I thank the Chairman for the invitation to attend to discuss Review to Renew, the public consultation element of the NDP. I will briefly recap on our operations, progress to date on projects funded under the NDP and our engagement with the consultation process of Review to Renew.

Our team of over 4,000 colleagues in Iarnród Éireann is responsible for maintaining a network of 2,200 km, operating 4,900 train services each way across 144 stations nationwide, transporting almost 1 million customers per week pre-Covid, transporting almost 90 million tonne-kilometres of freight by rail and bringing 130,000 freight units, over 800,000 passengers and over 21,000 trade cars through Rosslare Europort - for which we are port authority - annually. I reiterate that those are pre-Covid numbers. While Covid is not the subject of the discussion today, I wish to place on record my appreciation for our team of essential workers for ensuring that we have continuously delivered a safe and sanitised service to those whose travel has been essential throughout this pandemic.

The NDP is funding a range of critical projects to cater for existing demand to allow us to expand the role we play in meeting transport needs and to deliver solutions to environmental sustainability, congestion and balanced development for Ireland. I will summarise our major projects and their current status. On the infrastructure of the DART+ programme, all phases of the electrification and network capacity enhancement under the programme are now in planning, with DART+ West which is the Maynooth to M3 Parkway line public consultation under way and consultation for DART+ South West, which is out to Hazelhatch and coastal, namely, Drogheda to Greystones, commencing in 2021. Railway order applications will also be progressed this year, beginning with DART+ West. On the DART+ fleet, a framework order for up to 600 electric and battery-electric carriages over a ten-year period will be placed this year, representing the largest and greenest order of fleet in Irish public transport history.

Construction of a new national train control centre at Heuston Station is under way. This will yield safety, punctuality and efficiency benefits. It will be our national control centre co-located with An Garda Síochána and Dublin City Council, thereby enhancing co-operation and emergency response. Construction will be completed this year and phased transfer of operations will be completed in 2023. On additional intercity railcars, 41 carriages have been ordered and are under construction, with delivery from mid-2022 for commuter and intercity services. A range of other enhancements are continuing, including: lift and accessibility enhancements at stations; station development, with a new station opening at Pelletstown this year; the Cork line rehabilitation project has commenced, with track relaying to enhance safety and facilitate journey time improvements through increased line speed and enhancement of car and cycle-parking facilities.

In our engagement with the Department for Transport as part of the Review to Renew consultation, we have highlighted further opportunities to develop the role of rail in meeting the future needs of our economy, environment and society. These include enhancing the role of rail in meeting the transport needs of our regional cities, aligned with the ambitions for our regional cities under Project Ireland 2040, the framework which will guide the Review to Renew and the NDP. This includes: advancing the ambitious plans for Cork commuter rail, including higher frequency, and new stations under the Cork metropolitan area transportation strategy, CMATS; developing the possibilities for rail in the Limerick area, as part of the Limerick-Shannon metropolitan area strategy, LSMATS, based on the existing network of lines around the city; double-tracking Athenry to Galway, to build capacity and frequency for both commuter and intercity and delivering the relocated Plunkett Station, providing for public transport integration and further frequency improvements, as part of the Waterford North Quays development.

Further such opportunities include: building climate resilience into our rail infrastructure, with specific focus on the Dublin to Rosslare Europort line and the necessary coastal protection and other works needed for the long-term resilience of the route, as well as more comprehensive review of potential climate change impacts and risk reduction measures around the network; further investment in our inter-urban routes to decarbonise inter-urban travel, including line-speed enhancement; capacity enhancement, including options for double-tracking at locations such as Portarlington to Athlone, and Limerick to Limerick Junction; and the development of proposals for further electrification of the network, with sustainability and journey time benefits. We are also port authority for Rosslare Europort. Mr. Carr will address our engagement on Rosslare separately.

It is clear that as a country and a society, the sustainability of our economy into the future and the impacts on our environment are becoming a greater concern for citizens and our customers. Covid-19 will change aspects of the way we live our lives and move about, but it also presents an opportunity to change habits and reset methods of travel. Sustainable transport can be a key driver for the recovery of growth and rail travel is an essential pillar of any modern sustainable public transport network, with a significant opportunity to strengthen its role to support Ireland's wider recovery. Iarnród Éireann looks forward to engaging further on the Review to Renew process. We are happy to take any questions members may have.