A survey has found that 40 per cent of traffic in and out of Galway city through Claregalway originates from or travels to south Mayo, where commuters must wait until 2014 for a rail connection.
The results of the survey, conducted on behalf of Galway County Council, were released ahead of this week's conference on the western rail corridor, to be addressed by Minister for Transport Martin Cullen and Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív.
The corridor is a State-owned rail line stretching for 234km from Sligo to Limerick.
Statistics gathered last summer at Milltown, Co Galway, revealed that more than 9,000 vehicles a day were passing through the village on the N17 near the Mayo border. An average of 500 vehicles per hour pass through from 8am-8pm, with an evening peak of 400 vehicles southbound between 6-7pm, and 350 northbound in the same period.
The data, compiled by UK-based Golden River Traffic, showed that up to 36 per cent of traffic entering and exiting Galway city through Claregalway via the N17 throughout the day originates from or travels to the south Mayo area. This rises to more than 40 per cent at peak times.
A previous traffic survey at Claregalway found 700 vehicles travelled from the city each hour. Galway County Council estimates the real figure is closer to over 30,000 a day, when those who try to bypass the congested village by travelling on the "rat runs" are included.
The results surprised West On Track, the lobby group for the western rail corridor.
"It shows that Galway is feeding out as much traffic as it's pulling in," said spokesman Colmán Ó Raghallaigh.
"The figures mean that 2.5 million vehicles a year are passing through a tiny village and yet the people who live there have been told they must wait until 2014 to get a rail service."
During the same period last year, West on Track interviewed 200 motorists along the route, of whom 49.5 per cent were daily commuters. Almost 80 per cent of those surveyed said they would switch to rail if it was available.
Under its blueprint for transport spending, known as Transport 21, the Government has committed to reopening the rail corridor in several phases.
The Ennis to Athenry section is due to open in December 2008 with seven trains a day. The Athenry to Tuam section is next, scheduled to carry passengers by 2011. The line to Claremorris will not reopen until 2014 under the plan. No date has been set for the completion of the corridor to Collooney in Sligo.
Mr Ó Raghallaigh said that of the €16 billion spending provided for in Transport 21, €907 million, or 5.5 per cent, was for projects in the west. One-third of that funding would go towards the rail corridor.
"If they can open 36 miles of rail between Ennis and Athenry in a year and a half, why is it taking eight years to open the 34 miles between Athenry and Claremorris?" asked the teacher from Claremorris.
"We have to get real about this and stop pussyfooting around. If there was a political will, the line to Tuam could be opened within six months of Athenry, as there's no level crossings."
The conference takes place in the McWilliam Park Hotel, Claremorris, next Friday.