Plans to develop a strategic rail link to Shannon Airport received a major boost yesterday when the company behind the €135 million redevelopment of Shannon town said it was prepared to develop the rail service linking Shannon with Limerick and Ennis.
In the recently published Strategic Rail Review, the proposal to build a rail link to Shannon Airport suffered a setback when the review expressed strong reservations about the viability of the €117 million plan.
The review stated that "much work would need to be done on its feasibility and it is noted that the Shannon Estuary, through which it passes, is an environmentally sensitive area".
However, Mr Barry Boland, managing director of Beaux Walk Properties, said yesterday his company had already carried out initial work into the proposed scheme. "There are an estimated 300,000 trips weekly between the three points and if the rail service can secure 15 per cent of that volume, it can be viable." Claiming the rail link could be built for under €100 million, Mr Boland said: "We are offering to put together a consortium of appropriate business interests and skills to develop this vital rail link and given the right conditions, the project can be made viable."
Mr Boland was speaking at a tree-planting ceremony carried out by the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, marking the official start of the redevelopment of Shannon town centre. He said the rail project would require a combination of grant aid and capital allowances from government.
"It is clear from the recent Strategic Rail Review that the link will not be provided unless business people in the mid-west make it happen."
He also called for decentralisation of a government department to Shannon, saying one of the cornerstones of realising the ambitions of the National Spatial Strategy for Shannon town was decentralisation.
