Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The answer to when do we do it is that we start doing it now. There is no better time than now to do it. The situation is not going to get any better. The all-Ireland strategy is good because it does not just talk about running more trains or increasing frequency. It also refers to providing the matching infrastructure that is needed to do that. We cannot just keep cramming trains on the same line. We are aware of that problem and most of us would support the work needed to address it. However, like any other transport project we try to do, there will always be situations that are controversial in terms of land take. We see that with bus corridors and I have no doubt we will see the same with rail. The Kildare route project is a good example of where that worked. It was mostly done in-house. Non-stop fast trains can be run along that high-capacity Kildare line along with suburban services. I was glad to see Kishoge Station open recently. It had been sitting idle for a while. It is another great asset on that route.

Have all of the 41 intercity railcars, ICRs, that arrived in 2023 been allocated to lines? The timetable change affected the Wicklow line. My favourite service is the 9 a.m. diesel train out of Bray. I am glad to see it is coming back. I have a lot of constituents who get on the train at Wicklow town and by the time it gets to Greystones or even Rathdrum, there is standing room only all the way to Connolly Station. It is good to see that demand but is there any possibility of extra carriages at peak times on the Rosslare line?