8 plans for Northern Ireland rail network put to consultation

Date: 16/1/2013

Eight separate packages for the future of the Northern Ireland rail network have been put out to consultation in order to establish which would prove most popular with the public.

One of the suggestions is that the entirety of the network be electrified, which would cost £350 million, but is likely to mean a greener and more cost-effective service.

As well as outlining each of the proposals and their relative costs, the consultation looks at what the future demand for rail services in the region is projected to be.

Other proposals that have been put forward include extending the rail network so that it continues as far as Donegal and creating a link between Belfast International Airport and the city centre.

Northern Ireland's Transport Minister Danny Kennedy has urged the public to have their say on the varying plans, which are intended to be in place by 2030.

Steven Agnew, Green Party Member of the Legislative Assembly, said: "It is clear that Northern Ireland's rail infrastructure has suffered due to decades of neglect and significant investment is now needed to bring it into line with other comparable areas in Europe."

He went on to compare the situation in Northern Ireland with that of the UK where 40 per cent of the rail network has already been electrified.

Mr Agnew said: "Electrification can lead to at least a 20 per cent reduction in running costs, offer superior performance and is less damaging to the environment."

He called for a viable and affordable public transport network, which people can depend on so that they can move away from expensive fossil fuels.

Mr Agnew concluded: "There will always be a continuous need to renew the train fleet, to maintain and upgrade existing lines, and to modernise stations as well as to keep under review opportunities to expand the network."

Having originally been built in the 1830s, Ireland's railway network now has 211 miles of track, linking Belfast to Londonderry, Portrush, Bangor, Larne and Portadown/Newry extending south to Dublin.

Posted by Nick Anderson

International Transport News and Sustainable Transport News