Seanad debates
Wednesday, 21 May 2003
Strategic Rail Review Report: Statements (Resumed).
I am very disappointed in the report on the western rail corridor. The Minister goes to great pains to explain that there will be an onus on local authorities and planning authorities to zone lands in areas where the rail routes will be. If one takes the western corridor route from Sligo and Galway to Cork, one must travel via Sligo, Ballina, Westport, Castlebar, Athenry, Ennis, Limerick, Cork and Waterford. All these hubs or cities are included in the spatial strategy and rezoning has probably already taken place in these areas. If this is what is being put forward as a way of blocking the western rail corridor from getting the green light, it is a non-runner. I am very disappointed because all the stops along this line are either cities, hubs or major towns. I do not think it is a basis for delaying the project. As Senator Kitt said, in some of these cases, such as the Galway route, one could have Claremorris, Tuam and Athenry feeding into Galway city. This would take a significant amount of traffic off the Tuam-Galway road where up to quite recently there were a significant number of fatal crashes. There could be a passenger route from there into the city. Another Senator said that a Shannon, Ennis and Limerick route would work well.
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