Written answers

Tuesday, 7 November 2017

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Rail Services

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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1038. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the options for improving rail services and investing in rail infrastructure outside the greater Dublin area in view of the commitment in the national low carbon transition and mitigation plan to improve rail services and to invest in rail infrastructure. [46442/17]

Photo of Shane RossShane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Budget 2018 provided for an increase in the multi-annual capital investment for public transport with a four-year capital envelope of €2.7 billion to 2021. This increased funding for the period 2018-2021 will actively address the climate challenge and the transport commitments in the National Mitigation Plan. It will enable us to enhance the capacity and quality of the public transport network, including the rail network, across our cities to ensure that - as far as possible and practical - our increased transport demand is met by greener public transport.

In this regard, the four-year capital envelope will enable investment in a number of key programmes across our cities. This includes investment in a number of heavy rail projects such as the new rail Central Traffic Control Centre to improve national rail movements and continued investment in the maintenance and renewal of the national heavy rail network. Increased funding will also be provided for sustainable transport projects including the development of new urban cycling and walking routes and for traffic management, bus priority and other smarter travel projects to provide additional sustainable travel options to complement increased capacity and faster, higher quality public transport in our main cities.

I will be seeking to ensure that the forthcoming 10 year National Investment Plan to be published in the coming months will help further deliver on meeting our climate obligation by reducing emissions from the transport sector.

Finally, in relation to rail services, in Budget 2018 I secured an 8% increase in the overall Exchequer funding available for PSO bus and rail services throughout the country. This means that in 2018 over €285 million will be allocated via the National Transport Authority (NTA) to support the continued delivery of these socially necessary but financially unviable services that have grown in recent years.

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