The chief executive of Shannon Foynes Port Company has accused Iarnród Éireann of trying to close down the State's rail freight network "by stealth".
Mr Brian Byrne, who was appointed to Shannon Foynes Port Company late last year, has also criticised the State company's "negative and dismissive" attitude.
"CIÉ has failed to manage its brief over many years and it continues to ignore what every European country has been doing for decades," Mr Byrne said. "Nowhere else in Europe do we see such a blatant disregard for local employment potential and for environmentally friendly transport methods."
The port of Foynes, which claims to be the State's largest bulk-cargo handler, is linked to the national rail network by a line running from Limerick via Askeaton.
Mr Byrne said this line now stood idle while trucks roared up and down the N69 between Limerick and Tralee. The line could be used to draw many heavy goods vehicles off the roads, he said.
Earlier this month representatives of State companies, private business, chambers of commerce and several ports appealed to the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, to overturn a decision to close rail freight services between Galway, Waterford, Dundalk, Belfast and Dublin.
A delegation of rail-freight users is to meet Mr Brennan and the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, on Wednesday. State companies including Coillte Teo, as well as the ports of Waterford and Foynes, have questioned the decision to withdraw freight trains.
"The current policy of CIÉ and Irish Rail is to slam the door on any new business ideas," Mr Byrne said, "while quietly allowing the strategic rail asset to decay. This makes our exports more expensive and will inevitably result in Irish job losses right around the country."
