The Waterford Rosslare service pictured at Wellington Bridge Station in South Wexford. The case to consolidate the line’s use as part of a rail corridor linking Rosslare, Waterford and Limerick has been strongly made in a comprehensive new report.
The case for sustaining and enhancing rail services between Rosslare Europort and Limerick Junction has been underlined by a 107-page report commissioned by the South East (SERA) and Mid-West Regional Authorities (MWRA).
The comprehensive socio-economic and business report, which has been submitted to the National Transport Authority (NTA), also takes issue with Iarnród Éireann’s (IE) proposed closure of the Waterford-Rosslare line.
The NTA is currently mulling over Iarnród Éireann’s proposed withdrawal from the Waterford-Rosslare line and is expected to deliver its adjudication in September.
“The regional and local authorities in both regions are united in their opposition to Irish Rail’s attempts to close the Rosslare-Waterford line, which is a key element of our region’s transport infrastructure,” said SERA Chair John Cummins.
The Fine Gael Waterford City Councillor described the rail operator’s proposal as “half-baked and short sighted”, adding that it flew in the face of the National Spatial Strategy (NSS).
“For example, the Strategy promotes more balanced regional development, ‘Smarter Travel’, which advocates sustainable travel and the National Climate Change Strategy that urges switching from road to rail and from cars to public transport.”
The 192-kilometre long stretch of railway linking Rosslare to Limerick Junction, the report states, is “currently severely under-used”.
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The intended closure of this important link makes a joke of the national Transport 21 strategy. While IE are arguing this as a local issue, A Limerick/Tipp/Galway/Rosslare – Uk/France connection is not only essential but should be expected in any modern transport strategy.
Re. Closure of railway line between Waterford and Rosslare
There is no justification for closure of a railway line least of all one connecting two important transport points. The fact that Iarnród Eireann would even consider the closure of a railway line confirms what many people already suspect about the company. IE has poor insight, no planning for the future and no in depth understanding of the value of all railway lines. We need only recall the gross lack of insight in destroying the Harcourt Street line. All around the country closed lines make a pitiful sight when these could have been used to save lives and transport people and freight.
IE should have railway lines, both passenger and freight linking all strategic areas of the country with trains running on time. By using freight trains, deaths and injury on the roads would be reduced. Every country subsidises its railways because these are such a priceless commodity. It is unfortunate that the government and IE cannot see this.
Money will not be saved by closing a railway line. It is now up to IE and the government to think laterally instead of a knee jerk reaction. Management in both is top heavy. Money could be saved in both arenas by cutting the number of managers, expert reports and PR. You need to
listen to the train drivers and the people. – Trains reduce road traffic and therefore reduce road accidents and deaths. All railway lines need to be kept open and subsidised. For a start the Rosslare/ Waterford railway line must be kept open at the very least as a freight line but with a little planning this could serve a dual purpose of passenger/freight carriage.