Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Question 513: To ask the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 296 of 25 November 2008, the service level improvements to the Maynooth rail line during 2008; the time-scale for the implementation of further improvement, including electrification of the line; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12024/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The detailed planning and design of the upgrade works on the Maynooth line is a matter for Iarnród Éireann. The works planned for the Maynooth line provide for the electrification of the line and also for the removal of level crossings and for re-signalling that will allow for a significant increase in trains per hour from 7 currently to 17 trains per hour. The Maynooth line will also benefit from the introduction of services from Pace once the first phase of the Navan rail line has been completed in 2010.

The start and completion dates of Transport 21 projects, which have not yet commenced, will be determined by the outcome of the statutory approval and procurement processes and the funding allocation available during the current difficult economic climate. My priority for public transport is to deliver additional capacity across all modes, and major projects, such as the Dart Underground, will be hugely important in this regard. The redevelopment of the Maynooth line is an integral element of the Dart Underground project.