Mr. Frank Allen:

I have a few specific points to make. Our rail freight strategy envisages serving all the major ports of the country, including Cork, so we have taken that into account. The Senator mentioned high-speed rail comparable to the Acela service in the north-east corner of the United States. I should point out that the cost of a journey between, let us say, Washington and New York, even when a journey is planned in advance, is a substantial multiple of the cost of a journey between Cork and Dublin. That is a consideration. In terms of journey times, comfort and price, the Cork to Dublin route compares well with the Acela service in the north-eastern United States.