Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)

Fittingly, the all-island strategic rail review contains 32 recommendations across six headings. I welcome the all-Ireland nature of the document and its commitment to increasing rail coverage across the island.

I commute to Leinster House most weeks on the Dublin to Limerick train. I acknowledge the staff who service Colbert Station in Limerick city on this route. They are always friendly, approachable and very informative. However, there are significant gaps in railway coverage and a lack of regional balance on the current lines. The strategic review is timely and necessary, as far too many lines have been closed by successive Governments in recent decades. I hope this review and the more localised transport strategies will be the spur that allows lines to be reopened and rail services across the State to be enhanced.

The report recommends an increase in frequency on regional lines, including Galway to Limerick, Limerick to Cork and Limerick to Ballybrophy. The Ballybrophy line, which contains the Castleconnell to Limerick route, operates only three times per day and it is important for this frequency to be increased. It is bonkers that we do not use this line more because it would bring hundreds of people to the city every day.

The report notes the limited local rail services in Limerick. I welcome that construction is anticipated to begin next year on a train station in Moyross. This should be the start of a more complete service within Limerick city. In Limerick, we have existing lines that can be developed into a comprehensive suburban rail service to serve local journeys. We all want to see fewer cars being used for short journeys and sustainable intracity transport options could be a fantastic alternative.

In examining transport options for Limerick, the strategic rail review highlights the case of the city of Exeter in the UK. The city has a similar population size and geographical layout to the Limerick-Shannon area. The suburban rail network in Exeter delivers a two-train per hour service to eight stations within the city and a further 12 that fall outside the boundary of the city. This could easily be replicated in Limerick.

In the short time remaining, I want to mention the rail spur to Shannon Airport, which is critical for the future of the economy in the mid-west region.

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