Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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65. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to expand the passenger and freight rail network here, including the Navan rail line and the western rail corridor, given 2021 is the European Year of Rail; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15576/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government – Our Shared Future sets out a very clear vision to fundamentally change the nature of transport in Ireland and I believe that rail has a role to play in achieving that change.

The Deputy is right to highlight that 2021 has been designated by the European Union as the Year of Rail and I believe that this Government is demonstrating its commitment to that designation in a number of different ways.

First and foremost, there is the investment planned in improving rail infrastructure and services. In this year’s Budget I secured additional funding to allow for track improvements on the Dublin – Cork line and to accelerate the lift / escalator replacement programme, which improves the accessibility of the network generally and particularly for those with reduced mobility. Throughout the year, construction will continue on the new National Train Control Centre, as well as the 41 additional rail carriages ordered for the commuter rail fleet, while it is expected that the City Centre Resignalling Project will be completed this year too.

I also expect to bring to bring the DART+ Preliminary Business Case to Government for its approval under the Public Spending Code. This will be the largest ever investment in the network in the history of the State and can potentially transform rail services across the Greater Dublin Area, including along the Dunboyne line in Meath. In recent weeks the Deputy will have seen funding announced to support works at Ceannt Station in Galway, as well as Oranmore which complement the announcements made last year in relation to Waterford station and there are also improvements planned for Colbert Station in Limerick.  

These investments are all in addition to the approximately €202 million of investment that will occur this year in the protection and renewal of the network as part of the €1billion 5-year Infrastructure Manager Multi-Annual Contract and which increases service reliability and punctuality, improves journey times and ensures continued safety of rail services.

Secondly, there is a need to continue to plan for the future and again this year will see significant progress. At a national level, we will shortly launch a Strategic Rail Review which will examine all aspects of inter-urban and inter-regional rail on the island of Ireland. This review will consider the potential for high-higher speed and will also examine the potential for increased rail freight on the network. At a regional level, there is work underway in both the Limerick-Shannon metropolitan area and the Greater Dublin Area to develop a new transport strategy in the first instance and review the existing strategy in the second. This review in the Greater Dublin Area will allow for a reconsideration of the potential of a Navan rail link and I have no doubt the Deputy will welcome the review and the consultation planned for later in the year.

I am looking forward to participating in the European Year of Rail 2021, and any associated events, as we seek to improve and develop the rail infrastructure and service offering for our citizens.