The Strategic Rail Review, due out this month, is expected to map out options for the next 10 to 20 years, reports Chris Ashmore
The Irish railway network has contracted hugely since the foundation of the State, but now, after years of under-investment, a new era may be around the corner.
The long-awaited publication of the Strategic Rail Review (SRR) is due later this month, and is expected to map out options for the next 10 to 20 years.
The Irish railway network reached a peak in 1921 with over 3,500 miles of track on the whole island. As road transport developed, many lines became unviable, and there were closures, notably in the 1950s and 1960s.
But the trend has yet to be reversed. Since its inception in 1987, Iarnród Éireann has curtailed services on a further 206 miles of track. Now, it operates services on just under 1,000 route miles, while Northern Ireland Railways has just over 200 route miles.
All over Europe, huge resources are being put into expanding railway networks. Lines are being reopened, ranging from the major €5 billion high-speed line from Cologne to Frankfurt (the 140-mile trip will soon be done in just over an hour) to the reopening of secondary lines, like Grasse to Cannes in the south of France.
While the railways are undoubtedly an important part of our national infrastructure, they are often viewed as being a drain on the Exchequer.
With ageing trains - half the inter-city carriage fleet is still over 30 years old - overcrowding, and poor services in some cases, Iarnród Éireann has been an easy target for its critics.
But in an age of ever-increasing congestion on our roads, there are real signs of a shift in Government thinking.
The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, has repeatedly stated his desire to get traffic off roads and on to rail. But the challenge now is whether the Government will commit the resources to catapult the rail network truly into the modern age.
After years of neglect by successive governments, 1997 marked the start of the €1.3 billion On Track programme under the National Development Plan.
More than 80 per cent of the mainline track in Ireland has now been upgraded but few journey times have been cut.
As the economy boomed, passenger numbers by rail soared: they reached a record 35.6 million last year, up 20 per cent in five years.
"We ought to be on the verge of a new era but the big question is whether or not IE [Iarnród Éireann] and the Government will allow it to happen," notes Mr Mark Healy, joint editor of the Internet newsletter, Irish Railway News. He feels that while things have improved, much more needs to be done.
He says railways should be seen not just in pure accounting terms. There are often other social benefits, such as less traffic congestion, fewer road deaths, less pollution and more efficient mobility of people and goods.
It is understood the SRR will state that the cost of maintaining the present network over the next 20 years will be around €5 billion. To build new lines and expand services could cost anything up to that amount again.
Mr Brennan may need to convince his Cabinet colleagues of the merits of enhancing and expanding the rail system, according to Mr Healy.
The long-term view must be taken. How much better off would public transport and the country be if you could travel from Dublin to Cork in well under two hours, if passenger lines still served the likes of Navan and Midleton, if there was a regional network of services, and more freight diverted to rail?
The latter has proved to be a loss-making business for Iarnród Éireann in recent years, but the company has been criticised by several firms who believe more could be carried by rail.
Unlike other EU countries, there are no Government incentives to use rail for freight. However, it is understood that there are moves afoot to explore the possibility of allowing private operators to carry freight by rail.
Mr Healy says whether the SRR is really a defining moment in the history of rail transport in Ireland remains to be seen. Significant investment is still required to bring Iarnród Éireann services into line with many of our EU neighbours.