Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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I sincerely thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important topic in respect of public transport. The Killucan-Kinnegad Transport Lobby Group, chaired by my colleague, Denis Leonard, is a very vibrant local development group which has been in existence for a long period. It has been strongly focused on what it wishes to achieve and for a number of years has been actively advocating, and working towards, the reopening of the railway station at Thomastown, Killucan, which closed in 1963 after 115 years in operation.

It is the only station on the 22 mile stretch between Mullingar and Enfield on the Dublin-Sligo line that has double track, an existing station and platform and parking for over 120 cars. An independent report was commissioned by Westmeath County Council in 2007 and it strongly and unequivocally recommended that the station be reopened. It is part of the Westmeath county development plan and the national spatial strategy, while other strategic plans have also acknowledged it. There is a huge potential customer base, a matter which would worry the Minister in the context of recent reports. The demographics show that there has been a significant increase in the population of the area. The population in Killucan and Kinnegad has effectively quadrupled. There is also a large catchment area that includes east Mullingar, The Downs, Raharney, Ballivor, Rochfortbridge and Miltownpass.

The old station infrastructure is already in place, including a platform and signal box. It has been estimated that an unmanned facility could be put in place at a low capital cost of just over €1 million. The station is located at a loop point in the line. This section of double track is used to allow oncoming trains pass each other safely. Most hourly passenger services stop there already to allow other trains pass in safety, so we are not demanding something new. Adding Killucan as an occasional additional scheduled stop would clearly have minimal impact on existing customers and timetables.

We all acknowledge that many people need to get to their places of work. There is a huge migration of people from Mullingar and other stations along the line eastwards in the mornings. We do not wish to impact on them and this proposal will not do so. Iarnród Éireann owns a significant amount of land around the station. The installation of a park-and-ride facility could be achieved without land procurement and with virtually no impact on existing customers during the upgrade works. The 2007 study indicated that, at a minimum, approximately 260 commuters to Dublin from the housing developments in Ballivor, Killucan, Rathwire and Kinnegad would definitely use the Killucan station if it were reopened. That was more than eight years ago. Unlike the case with recent reports, this station would be extensively utilised as a significant number of people commute eastwards daily for work and other commitments.

Of course, some joined-up thinking at company and Government levels is also important in terms of the significant impact the availability of the reopening of the station could have on climate change targets and the significant reduction in the carbon footprint that would result from motorists availing of such a service and facilities. It is well known that there has been an increase in transport carbon emissions in the past number of years. There was a recent editorial in the Irish Independenton this issue. It asked what could be done to encourage commuters to utilise rail transport. It is instructive to read. It states:

What are the Department of Transport and NTA doing? Are they consulting with communities on what services they need to allow them to leave the car at home? ... The Government has a choice. Allow congestion to grow and emissions to rise, or tackle transport.

There have been ongoing consultations with, and representations to, Irish Rail about this station. Irish Rail has said it is okay from a safety point of view and eventually confirmed, through its chief executive, that it was also fine from a timetable point of view. The cost is €1.2 million to €1.6 million, depending on the specifications required. It is not a black hole. Up to 50% of the funding is available from the Border, midland and western, BMW, region and funding could also be leveraged from numerous rural development funds. I ask the Minister to support this.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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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.

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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The Minister said the operation of a single platform would create an undesirable operational risk. However, in his letter of 30 October 2014, Mr. David Franks said he was satisfied that current operating rules and procedures could sufficiently address it. I was waiting for the answer the Minister got. I have been around long enough to know how officials and bureaucrats work. That puts an end to that. It is already there. The trains are already stopping 5 m or 10 m up the line. They should just pull in and let people get on. It is unbelievable. I will invite the Minister to come and see. He will have to come. Given his business background, he will say we have to get the show on the road. It would help relieve the choking traffic on the N4 and M50 as people try to get to their places of employment. There are several very good businesses in the vicinity of Killucan station and they appreciate the value of having it reopened. They would be prepared to help out in the provision of park and ride infrastructure facilities by way of contribution of essential materials, and they would not be found wanting in making it a reality. We should examine all these prospects.

All that is required is to be positive. Providing a park and ride facility will cost €1 million, however there is already parking for 120 cars. We are allowing for it to have 300 spaces. The catchment area is huge, stretching from Delvin and Raharney to Milltownpass, Rochfortbridge, Kinnegad, Killucan, The Downs, east Mullingar and all the areas in between. Killucan is at the epicentre of it. Let everybody here make it a reality for 2017 with good will and a small capital investment. This will not be a white elephant but a real, active station with the people just stepping on. When another train is coming, this train has to pull in to allow the train to pass, and it happens within metres of the closed station. You could not make it up. Some bureaucrat, as is their wont, wants to make a laugh of everything. On any cost benefit analysis, this would stand up to the most detailed scrutiny. I appeal to the Minister to use his common sense and ensure it becomes a reality. The people of the area deserve no less.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Will the Minister take the train to Killucan?

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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He should. He would learn a lot. He should forget about the bureaucrats.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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While taking the train to Killucan may be difficult, I will certainly accept the Deputy's kind invitation to come and have a look. I am not an expert in this area and I would probably be wise to bring along somebody from Iarnród Éireann who has made a decision or judgment on this. Given the passionate way the Deputy has presented the problem, it is only fair.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Hear, hear.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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He has made the case that the population is expanding and the project would have merit and would perhaps be commercial, be an asset to Iarnród Éireann and bring more passengers. Of course I will consider it. I am not here to refuse requests if they make sense. If it does not, it will be rejected. I strongly advise the Deputy to advise those who made representations to him to contribute to the public contribution, which the NTA will consider. While the NTA may be considered negative on reopening lines - I do not know whether it is - if the figures he presents are compelling, I do not see how any reasonable person could refuse them.

During adjournment debates there is often conflicting evidence from the Deputies and the people advising me, and it is very difficult for me, being struck by the figures in the debate, to criticise or challenge the Deputy's figures. I am happy to consider them and I will ask my officials to consider them. Iarnród Éireann has recently advised that the operation of a one-platform station at Killucan would introduce an undesirable operational risk. The Deputy said he had a letter from Mr. Franks.

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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I have.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Again, we have a conflict. The issues associated with the single platform relate to the impact on the timetable in normal operations and safety and recovery times in the event of a train failure or other degraded conditions. I thank the Deputy and I will visit his area. It is a pity he could not accept my invitation when I was there when he was being re-elected. At the time, he did not know he was going to be re-elected, so he could not invite me.

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Exactly. I thank the Minister.