Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for attending to take this important Topical Issue matter about rail capacity for Kildare commuters and, in particular, the need to expand that and future-proof rail services for Kildare citizens.

The Kildare route project aims to contribute to meeting future demand for rail transport by increasing the capacity and frequency of commuter trains on the Cork-Dublin railway line. Phase 1 of the project has been completed from Heuston Station to Hazelhatch. Phase 2 is to upgrade the track to four lanes as far as Kildare town, covering Sallins, Newbridge and Kildare town. Capacity is key. The ongoing road reconstruction and widening of the N7 is welcome but is causing carnage on the road because of the volume of traffic shoehorned into the two lanes. There will be plenty of cars to fill all three lanes on the Naas bypass when it is widened.

In the light of climate change, we need to continue moving to a more sustainable transport model. Many students in my constituency cannot afford rental accommodation in Dublin and must travel back and forth everyday. The quality of life for commuters is key. Demand from residents in Newbridge, Kildare, Monasterevin and Portarlington will continue to increase.

We want to ensure we have ease of access and frequency of service. In my supplementary question I will raise the cost for Newbridge residents compared with those living in Sallins because the short-hop zone only extends as far as Sallins, which needs to be revisited.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I just caught the end of Deputy Heydon's contribution. My query also relates to rail services in Kildare but I think it is of a slightly different nature. As the Minister knows, I have been raising the plight of Kildare commuters since I entered this House and since the Minister became a Minister. At the stations in Sallins, Naas, Kilcock, Maynooth, Celbridge and elsewhere we have a problem with success. The service has improved. I would claim some responsibility for that improvement. I have been advocating for it for many years to the point that it is now a good service most of the time but is seriously overloaded. The carriages are bursting at the seams and it is difficult to physically board the trains. The car parks are bursting at the seams. Passengers can forget about getting a space after 7.30 a.m. Many passengers who get off at Heuston Station find they cannot get on the Luas either.

I regularly commute. I did so this morning and will run out of the Chamber shortly after this debate to catch a train back for a meeting tonight in the constituency. I see this every day. It has got to the stage that some people trying to board at Sallins and Hazelhatch cannot get on the train. They have to stand back or fight their way on and off and have further difficulties getting on the Luas. I give credit to the staff of Transdev, the Luas operating company. This morning, as one might see in a Japanese city or another city with high passenger volumes, they were physically managing people on and off the trams because they were so overcrowded.

I have tabled a number of parliamentary questions over the past two years since the Minister became Minister. I have repeatedly made the point that we needed extra capacity with additional rolling stock and carriages. I was very disappointed to receive a reply about a week ago stating that the National Transport Authority, NTA, had considered investment in refurbishment of carriages, spent two years investigating it and has now decided it could not do it because the costs were too great and there were risks relating to the supplier, Brexit issues, etc.

Two years on, the trains and trams are fuller than they ever were, not to mention the car park, and we have made no progress in reality. Had carriages been ordered two years ago - I believe there is a three-year lead-time - we might have been one year from getting them. Now we are still three years from getting them unless the Minister has news to the contrary. I look forward to his response.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I thank the Deputies for raising this very important matter, which is not unfamiliar as the Deputies will be aware. The NTA has statutory responsibility for the planning and delivery of transport infrastructure and services in the greater Dublin area, including Kildare. The NTA’s Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-2035 provides the overarching framework for the planning and delivery of transport infrastructure and services in the greater Dublin area over the next two decades.

At a national level, this year also saw the publication of the national development plan as part of Government’s Project Ireland 2040. The NDP provides a national level framework for the delivery of transport infrastructure over the next ten years. Both the NTA’s statutory transport strategy and the NDP provide for the DART expansion programme as one of the key investment priorities in the coming years. Importantly the NDP also commits Exchequer funding to the project and an indicative allocation of €2 billion is provided in the NDP. That is a significant investment by the taxpayer in our transport network.

The proposed enhancements to the heavy rail system will create an integrated rail network which will deliver a very substantial increase in peak-hour capacity on all commuter lines in the greater Dublin area, including the Kildare line.

The electrification of the line to Hazelhatch-Celbridge and remaining infrastructure needed to complete the link of the Kildare commuter route to the city centre will be delivered as part of the DART expansion programme. In the meantime, the upgrade to the Phoenix Park tunnel in 2016 has seen commuters on the Kildare line have the option of direct trains to Connolly, Tara Street, Pearse and Grand Canal Dock Stations. It is proposed to further improve Kildare line services through additional off-peak and weekend services through the tunnel next year.

In addition, the NTA and Irish Rail continue to examine short-term, medium-term and long-term options for meeting increased commuter services demand. With regard to the adequacy of existing rail services, the existing rail fleet is fully deployed at peak times. However, the NTA, in conjunction with Irish Rail, is examining options for additional train capacity.

One option under current consideration is the lease or purchase of second-hand rolling stock and the NTA and Irish Rail will determine the viability of such an approach later this year. In the longer term, and as part of the DART expansion, a comprehensive fleet purchase programme will take place adding significantly to the rail fleet. The formal procurement notice seeking interested train manufacturers is expected to issue before year-end and a formal contract for the new fleet is expected to be signed next year.

I am confident that the improvements planned in the short, medium and long terms will enhance services along this important commuter line.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for the response. Doubling the number of train tracks from two to four through Newbridge and onto Kildare town on the Dublin-Cork line on the makes eminent sense. Planning for that accordingly and ensuring it is a priority makes eminent sense as we prepare for future demand. Reopening the Phoenix Park tunnel has resulted in considerable benefits for commuters on the Kildare suburban line and has provided a very significant financial benefit for Irish Rail as it becomes a very user-intensive route because of its location.

However, the cost for commuters in my constituency is considerable. As I said earlier, the extension of the short-hop zone to Sallins, while welcome for residents in that area, has caused considerable issues. There is an astronomical disparity in the prices for travelling from Sallins versus travelling from Newbridge, which is only seven minutes down the track. The adult single fare from Sallins to Heuston is €4.75 but from Newbridge it is €14.30. An adult monthly ticket from Sallins to Heuston is €154 and it is €264 from Newbridge. This disparity is wrong. Money is being spent on extending a car park in Sallins which is full of commuters coming from Kildare South because they are driving to that station for the cheaper fares. The short-hop zone needs to be extended to Newbridge Station.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister made a number of points in his reply. They are strong on rhetoric but they lack timelines or details. I am quite familiar with the issues because I have worked on the issue for a decade, long before I became a Deputy. I have tabled many parliamentary questions and some of the responses I received actually contradict the information in the Minister's speech. I hope that is a mistake or something that can be clarified.

For example, the Minister spoke about the long-term investment in the DART expansion. He spoke about the enhancement of the heavy rail system and, of course, he spoke about the electrification of the lines. These are all great things, but my understanding from replies to parliamentary questions issued from the Minister's office is that it takes a minimum of three years to buy an extra carriage. Are all these great things at least three years away or will they come somewhat sooner?

We have a crisis on the trains at the moment. I am also concerned that despite climate change and everything, people might turn away from the trains if something is not done soon, which would not be good.

I previously proposed to the Minister some practical changes that could be done more quickly. The carriages on the Kildare line are geared for day trips down the country and not for peak commuting, unlike DART and Luas carriages, which have standing room, hooks and handles. The trains on the Kildare line are more akin to the trains on which someone might spend a day journeying along the coast. They have seating, but not much room to stand.

A Luas shuttle from Heuston into town and back again would be very useful. It would allay some of the massive overcrowding we see as trains come into the station every morning.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I offer the Minister an invitation to come to Sallins one morning so that he can travel with me on the train. Let us try to park a car at 7.30 a.m. in the station and circle a few times to get a space.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Then let us get on the train and see if the two of us can actually find some room. Then let us get off at Heuston and see if the two of us can manage to get on the Luas.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I do that most days and I would be delighted if he would join me so he can see for himself.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I will start by responding to Deputy Heydon. I appreciate the disparity in prices between Newbridge and Sallins he mentioned. As is so often the case, I am not responsible for setting the prices from one station to another and cannot do anything directly to alter the prices that are set by others.

I will, however, pass on to the NTA the Deputy's point on prices, which seems very reasonable and fair.

In answer to Deputy Lawless, overcrowding on commuter trains and commuter DART and Luas trains is not new. It is regrettable-----

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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It is the worst I have seen in 20 years.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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-----but it is not something we can do a lot about overnight.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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It is two years in.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I wish to be allowed to finish. If not, the Deputy will just use up my time.

We have been examining the line in question and many others, particularly with regard to the purchasing of second-hand vehicles, as the Deputy probably knows. A decision on the viability of the second-hand vehicle option will be made later this year following market availability analysis and procurement options analysis. Work on developing tender documentation and training specifications for a bi-mode fleet of rail vehicles to operate as part of the extended DART system is progressing. The former procurement notice seeking interested train manufacturers is expected to be issued before the end of the year and a formal contract for the new fleet is expected to be signed next year.

The Government has committed several billion euro for the development of transport, including public transport, for the benefit of commuters in the coming years. The Kildare lines will be beneficiaries along with many of the other lines within the Dublin commuter belt.