A new fleet of 80 rail carriages which will significantly improve Dublin commuter services, and expand them to Gorey in Co Wexford, was launched by the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, yesterday.
The new railcars, 32 of which are already in service, will lead to a significant improvement in key commuter services to the capital from Dundalk, Longford, Portlaoise and Portarlington in Co Laois, and Gorey.
The new trains, which cost €115m, represent Iarnród Éireann's largest single order of commuter trains. All the carriages will be in service by the end of this year.
Built by Spanish manufacturers Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), the diesel-powered trains resemble the newer Dart carriages but come equipped with wheelchair accessible lavatories and fold out table tops.
Air conditioning, closed circuit television and emergency intercoms are also fitted as are digital passenger information displays, tactile buttons, and a wheelchair ramp. Each peak-hour train of eight carriages will have capacity for up to 1,400 commuters.
Launching the trains on a special trip from Dublin's Connolly Station to Balbriggan yesterday morning, Mr Brennan said they would allow "thousands more commuters to travel on greater Dublin commuter routes every day".
Asked if the expansion of commuter services to outlying areas would contribute to Dublin's urban sprawl, Mr Brennan said people could access cheaper housing in places like Gorey, making "a better quality of life possible". He said motorways and railways "go both ways" and while the improved service would promote commuting "there would be a much better chance of industry setting up in a place like Gorey if there was good road and rail connections".
Mr Joe Meagher, managing director of Iarnród Éireann, said the rail investment was the most visible part of the current rail improvement programme which had already seen more than €1 billion spent on track improvements and signalling.
- Drogheda/Dundalk commuter services where the majority of peak services will be eight carriage trains and peak capacity will increase from 5,670 to 8,100. Older carriages will be taken out of service.
- Longford/Maynooth where peak capacity will increase by 26 per cent from 3,320 to 4,200 - the capacity of this line already doubled in 2001.
- Kildare/south-west commuter services will combine with infrastructure works in early 2004 to increase capacity from 2,200 to more than 5,000.
- Arklow commuter services will increase by about 30 per cent according to Iarnród Éireann, although this currently means just one extra train per day and the extension of the service to Gorey.
- Cork-Cobh commuter services will also double in capacity to about 30 services per day.
In addition to increasing capacity on Dublin commuter routes, the delivery of the new fleet will free up Intercity-style carriages currently being used by commuter services. CAF has also been awarded the contract for 67 new Intercity carriages to enter service at a cost of €117 million in 2005.
