Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank both Deputies for raising this Topical Issue matter and I welcome the chance to discuss the future of the Ballybrophy to Limerick rail line. This Government is committed to investment in the public transport network, to increase the size of the rail fleet in order to address the capacity constraints and to expand services in many parts of the country. Initiatives such as the Cork line relaying programme will improve journey times for passengers and will increase rail as a sustainable transport option. Further ambitious fleet investment programmes will see the overall Iarnród Éireann fleet grow over the coming years with 41 additional intercity rail carriages currently contracted and a further contract for up to 600 over the coming decade set to be awarded next year.

These initiatives will help expand capacity in areas where it is badly needed and in areas where future population growth and development are expected. Unfortunately, the Ballybrophy route has to date been struggling to accommodate large passenger numbers. Iarnród Éireann identifies this service as a continually low-density passenger numbers route although the company has over the years operated varying levels of service during periods of both economic growth and recession. I understand that Iarnród Éireann has undertaken both national and local promotions on the route but that such efforts have not resulted in any significant uptake and passenger numbers have remained low. In this context, the National Transport Authority has no plans at present to increase services on this route.

larnród Éireann promotes usage of rail services, both in national promotion and through local initiatives. I am told it has a number of partnerships which support this, including on the Ballybrophy to Limerick line.

The company has stated it will continue to promote all routes and engage with local communities to seek new business opportunities and examine the potential for revisions and enhancements to timetables that will benefit specific customer groups.

Furthermore, larnród Éireann has advised that the infrastructure on this stretch of line does not facilitate higher-speed rail services. The current speed profile on this section of the rail network is consistent with the age and condition of the track infrastructure and the greater number of user-operated level crossings, which would pose safety risks with increased speed.

The moneys that would be required to improve the line significantly to address these matters are not available within the present national development plan, NDP, envelope, which envisages investment of up to €8.6 billion over the period 2018 to 2027 to further develop sustainable mobility options. Given the pressures and opportunities that have already been identified and that will need to be addressed in the NDP, it is unlikely that the upgrade of this line would be afforded greater investment priority than other proposals for capacity elsewhere on the rail network and other public transport and active travel projects.

I advise the Deputies that the draft Limerick-Shannon metropolitan area transport strategy includes some proposals in regard to encouraging greater use of the line as a commuter route into Limerick. I assure the Deputies that these and other proposals are under consideration now that the consultation process has ended. I look forward to working with them to promote such possibilities as ways of improving the rail services in this area, as we are going to do around the rest of the country.

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