Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As Minister for Transport,. Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport. The operation of rail network and the stations on it is a matter for Iarnród Éireann. Killucan train station in Westmeath is on the Dublin to Sligo line, located approximately half way between Mullingar and Enfield. I understand that the station closed to passengers in November 1947.

Over the years, the question of reopening the station has been raised with my Department and with Iarnród Éireann on a number of occasions, particularly by Mr. Leonard, to whom Deputy Penrose referred. I understand that in 2008 Westmeath and Meath commissioned a study which, in part, reviewed the potential of opening a new station at Killucan but that Iarnród Éireann concluded that the projected demand in the area and its surrounding hinterland was of an insufficient scale to warrant the development of a station at the time. If the Deputy can prove otherwise, I will be interested to see the evidence. Iarnród Éireann remains in a challenging position financially and has limited resources available to fund new projects. The company has not made any proposal to my Department regarding the reopening of Killucan station.

The Deputy will be aware that Exchequer funding for public transport projects over the coming period is already set out in the Government's capital plan. The transport element of the plan covers the period up to 2022. I have previously outlined that my Department’s first priority under the capital plan is to ensure the maintenance of our existing transport infrastructure at steady-state levels so that it will remain safe and fit for purpose. Based on the funding allocations for public transport under the capital plan, we should achieve steady-state levels by 2020. In view of the current constraints on availability of funding, the priority for the heavy rail network under the plan is to improve efficiency and maintain safety standards, rather than expanding the network, opening new stations or reopening existing stations.

The Deputy will be aware that the Government has committed to review the capital plan in 2017 and I am determined to make the case for public transport investment to be both increased and accelerated as a result of that review, in order to address our grossing transport needs. Following on from this, if additional funds were to become available there would be many competing demands within the public transport sector. All projects would be subject to robust analysis and would require strong business cases to justify their value and demonstrate how they would significantly improve the public transport system.

I will briefly address the specific point made by Deputy Penrose about the possibility of a single-platform solution for Killucan. Iarnród Éireann advises that the operation of a single-platform station at Killucan would introduce an undesirable operational risk. I reiterate that the priority for the heavy rail network, with the funding available under the capital plan, is to improve efficiency and maintain safety standards, rather than expanding the network or reopening stations. Earlier this week, the National Transport Authority, NTA, and larnród Éireann launched a public consultation process on the rail review report. The report has been published on the NTA's website along with a public consultation paper. The purpose of the consultation exercise is to open a public discussion on the role of rail in Ireland and the funding of the rail network and services. This process will give the public and all interested parties the opportunity to give their views and contribute to the debate on the future of the heavy rail network. The public consultation process will run until 18 January and the NTA will then prepare a report about the process which I intend to bring to the Government. I stress that no decisions will be made until the public consultation process has concluded and been evaluated. I urge the Deputy and anybody else who supports the reopening of this station to contribute to that.

See this speech in context