Mr. Jim Meade:

In terms of enhancing rail services, both the western rail corridor, WRC, and the Navan project are in our sights. The National Transport Authority leads on the planning side as part of the greater Dublin area, GDA, review that is currently under way and the Navan rail link is part of that review. We feed into the authority any issues, respond to any queries they have for us and give any guidance we can to them on costs, alignments and all of that. We are fully committed to that. All we await is clarity from the Department and the NTA. It is a case of if and when they want to build it. Obviously we are here to operate railways. We very much welcome the expansion of rail across the network and we would welcome both projects.

On the case of the western rail corridor, at the request of, and subject to the terms of reference within the Department of Transport, we did commission a report that was undertaken by EY. It is a financial and economical appraisal on proposals to extend the western rail corridor, as outlined before, ultimately to Claremorris in two phases from Athenry to Tuam and then Tuam to Claremorris. The terms of reference specified in that appraisal were that we must ensure that any extension of the WRC meets all of the relevant appraisal procedures and value-for-money tests required under the public spending code.

The report was submitted to the Department in July 2020. It was subject to an independent review, commissioned by the Department, with the Joint Assistance to Support Projects in the European Regions, JASPERS. Neither report supported the extension of the WRC based on the terms of reference set out in it. I would note that the Minister for Transport has informed the Government of a proposed all-Ireland strategic rail review of the inter-urban and inter-regional rail network taking cognisance of the need for balanced regional development and cross-Border connectivity. While the Department is doing that we will be very involved with them and we will support them in any way they need. If the decision is made to develop either or both of those lines then we will not be found wanting in supporting that decision and delivering.