Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I hope that when this strategy comes out, it will have a long-term focus and be the basis of planning for the next 25 or 30 years, not something looking at five or ten years because rail infrastructure development is a long-term goal. The Minister of State highlighted regional rebalancing and the interconnection of our cities. In our own area in the south east, I would like to see the Waterford to Wexford line reopened and I would also like to see improvements for the Waterford to Limerick Junction line and beyond because we do not have that connectivity. We lost the rail line to Cork because we dug it up many years ago which was short-sighted. Beyond that, I hope the Minister of State will point to the energy that will power rail into the future. Where are we going? Are we going with electric or are we potentially going with hydrogen? I would like to see something on that in the strategy. When the strategy is published, I hope it will be the basis for something to build on and not just a report to be filed away for the next five years.

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