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West=On=Track -
News
Transport Minister
Announces Approval for New euro90m Cork Commuter Rail
Service
Statement from Dept of
Transport - Friday 21st May 2004
FIRST MAJOR EXPANSION OF NETWORK IN A CENTURY WILL
DELIVER NEW TRACKS, STATIONS, SIGNALLING AND PARKING
The Minister for Transport, Séamus Brennan T.D.,
signalled the first major extension to the national rail
network in more than 100 years when he announced approval
for a new euro90 million suburban commuter rail service for
Cork city and county.
Minister Brennan said the Government decision will lead
to the re-opening of the closed line to Midleton, the
building of new stations, provision of extensive park and
ride facilities and significantly expanded services in the
Cork region.
The Minister said: "This decision heralds a new era of
growth and the revitalisation of the railways. In recent
years over euro1 billion has been invested in modernising
our railway infrastructure with new track, signalling and
engines and railcars. The foundation for a world-class
railway system has been laid and on that we are now building
improved, expanded and more customer friendly services. A
century ago we had some 3,000 miles of railway track in this
country and today that is down to just over 1,000 miles. I
can assure you today that the decades of closures and the
downgrading of lines and services can now be consigned to
the past. The future of the railway is all about growth in
customers and expansion of services."
The new rail commuter service will operate from Mallow
through Cork City to Midleton and is designed to meet the
long-term needs of the rapidly expanding East Cork Region,
help to alleviate traffic congestion into and out of the
city at peak times, and attract industrial and commercial
developers.
Under the approved plans unveiled today by Minister
Brennan:
- A new and regular commuter service will be introduced
between Cork City and Midleton, a distance of 20km, at an
estimated cost of over euro56 million. It will involve
the re-laying of 10km of new track, the building of three
new stations, at Dunkettle, Carrigtwohill and Midleton,
and the installing of a new signalling system between
Cork and Midleton. It is proposed to run a train service
every 15 minutes at peak times and the journey time is
estimated at 25 minutes. Scheduled rail services between
Cork and Midleton ceased in the early 1970s but the
alignment has been preserved in its entirety.
- A greatly enhanced commuter service will be opened
along the 35km stretch from Mallow to Cork City on the
main Dublin-Cork intercity line. New stations will be
constructed at Blarney, where significant new residential
development is planned, and at Kilbarry on the outskirts
of the City, at an estimated cost of almost euro10
million. The rail journey between Mallow and Cork City is
expected to take 25 minutes.
- More than euro24 million will be invested in
providing modern commuter railcars, the size of which can
be adjusted to meet passenger demand at both peak and off
peak periods. Passenger trips on the entire Cork suburban
rail network, including the existing and expanding Cobh
service, are projected at 3.8 million, or almost 16,000
per working day, in the first year of operation, doubling
to 32,000 a day, by 2020.
- Extensive Park and Ride facilities will be
constructed at the new railway stations at Dunkettle (750
spaces), Blarney (200) Carrigtwohill (450) and Midleton
(600).
- Phase 2 of the development, estimated to cost an
additional euro25 million, will involve construction of a
further station on the Mallow-Cork stretch and the
expansion of Park and Ride facilities. It is proposed
that this phase of development will take place when
demand grows to a point where additional capacity is
needed in the system.
The Minister said that design work by Iarnrod
Éireann was already underway on sections of the line
and it was expected that passenger services would commence
in 2007.
While detailed costings are expected shortly from
Iarnród Éireann, Minister Brennan said the
funding of the project, estimated at almost euro90 million
at 2002 prices, will be met from the Department of
Transports recently agreed five year multi annual budget of
more than euro3.5 billion for public transport, a
contribution from EU funds, the Special Contribution Schemes
being put in place by both Cork City Council and County
Council and private finance towards the cost of new
stations. The contribution scheme in the County Council area
alone is expected to generate significant funding for the
project.
Minister Brennan said a comprehensive study of the
project for Iarnród Eireann and CASP (Cork Area
Strategic Plan) by international transport consultants Faber
Maunsell estimates the revenue support required for the new
services, over the first 6 years of operation, at euro5.5
million in total. It is estimated that no revenue support
will be required after 2013 at the latest. Iarnrod Eireann
will be expected to operate the service within its current
subvention level.
Minister Brennan paid particular tribute to the influence
of CASP, which was commissioned by Cork City Council and
County Council in 2000, on the development of the strategies
for the railways, park and ride facilities and the Green
Route policy as part of an overall integrated transport
system. One of the key themes of CASP calls for a
re-direction of future development in the Cork area that can
be served efficiently by public transport, especially rail.
The report calls for planning for the physical environment
(residential, commercial or industrial or other development)
to be closely integrated with transport planning and more
particularly with planning for high quality and high
frequency public transport services.
The Minister said: "I understand that the main purpose in
commissioning the CASP was to ensure that the needs of the
planning area were identified, prioritised and addressed for
the period up to 2020. I see the CASP as a model plan for
the integration of land use and transportation strategies,
an area on which Cork has been to the forefront. I have
already said on a number of occasions that I view the CASP
planning and implementation experience as a template that I
would invite other local authorities to examine as they
develop their own proposals."
The Faber Maunsell report concluded that the strategic
transport modelling work undertaken as part of the CASP
study indicated that investment in the rail network would
provide good value for money in the context of the very
significant increases in population and employment that are
envisaged.
These include population growth to 2020 of:
- Midleton (+ 162%)
- Carrigtwohill (+340%)
- Monard/Rathpeacon (+474%)
- Mallow (81%)
- Cobh (23%)
Employment in Cork City Centre is expected to grow by 34%
to 2020.
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