THE TRANSPORT MINISTER has suggested that continuing to leave existing rail lines idle is a waste and that more lines around the country need to be revived.

Speaking to The Journal, Eamon Ryan suggested that there were rail lines that could be opened easily and at little cost.

“It doesn’t even have to be expensive, like reopening the Rosslare to Waterford rail line because it’s been maintained so it’s pretty much there. It’s more a strategic decision,” Ryan said.

He said that to build a new line from Rosslare, through Waterford, Clonmel, Tipperary through to Limerick Junction, it would potentially cost the state between €10 and €20 billion.

However, he says that there are existing lines there but that are lying idle.

“That’s there, that’s sitting idle. If you were to build it new, it would probably cost you €10 to €20 billion.

“But given that we have it, it’s turning the strategic thinking around to say, ‘well we’re going to use it and we’re going to regulate so that we use it’.”

When asked if he thought it was a waste to keep these rail lines idle, Ryan responded: “Totally”.

“Ultimately, you come to a strategic decision: do you shut it down or not?

“The answer to that, in my mind, is no, you revive it.”

Ryan also said that a line between Letterkenny and Derry was also being considered and that he supported the proposal.

He added that he wanted to see an ‘Atlantic Rail Corridor’, which would run from Ballina to Rosslare and go along the west coast of the country.

“[It] would run from Rosslare all the way to Ballina, and would need little sections to be reintroduced from Athenry to Claremorris and Rosslare to Waterford.”

Ryan said that the All-Island Strategic Review is ready to be published, but cannot at present due to the lack of a functioning Stormont Executive in Northern Ireland. 

The review itself was jointly commissioned by governments north and south in 2021

The Environment and Transport Minister was speaking to The Journal as part of a wide-ranging interview last week, where he confirmed that he intended to lead the Green Party into the next General Election.

He also addressed criticisms of his recent St Patrick’s Day trip to China, admitting that he is held to higher standards on personal carbon emissions.

Rail freight

Ryan also suggested increasing the amount of freight that is transported on rail lines, saying that it is currently too low.

He estimated that just 1% of Ireland’s freight is transported by rail, with European countries having significantly more cargo transported by rail.

“The truth is, we have just 1% rail freight on our system, that’s way below any other European country.

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“It’s due to 50, 60 years of neglect and strategic decisions not to become dependent on the alternative road network.

“I think it’s time for that to change.”

At present, Iarnród Éireann runs just 29 freight trains a week, the bulk of which are trains running between Tara Mines and Dublin Port.

These trains account for 15 of the freight train services, with three running each day between Navan and Dublin Port.

Iarnród Éireann is currently attempting to increase the amount of freight transported by rail, under its Rail Freight Strategy 2040.

In particular, Iarnród Éireann are seeking to reconnect Foynes Port in Limerick to the train network, with work beginning last month on the project.

Ryan told The Journal that, when examining restoring old lines, that ports and other transport hubs should be contacted to attempt to move more freight onto trains.

“You start talking to Rosslare Port and saying, ‘could some of that stuff that’s coming in in trucks at the moment, could we switch that over to train’.

“That’s not then so expensive, it’s not massive infrastructure you need because you have it there. It’s just lying idle.”