Re: Re: Galway – Limerick by Rail.

The reality is that Iarnród Éireann is an inherently incompetent, self-serving quango that has run this country’s rail service into the ground. Wasting countless millions of taxpayers money in the process.

Their latest debacle is the Kildare route project. Where despite nearly €500 million being spent to increase capacity, plans to run extra commuter services on the line have been shelved. :confused:

Just today (although it had been expected for some time) they announce that the DART Underground project will be delivered three years later than anticipated. IE have repeatedly shown that they are incapable of running an efficient rail service and they really should not be entrusted with delivering such a vital piece of infrastructure as the underground DART link.

You really shouldn’t be surprised by the speeds and journey times on the WRC either. IE just don’t understand how to run viable services. Despite spending hundreds of millions on new tracks, new trains & re-signalling projects, inter city journeys are slower now than they were 10 or 20 years ago. I’m sorry but that is just indefensible.

This year will see the completion of the last sections of the interurban motorway network. Once this happens, it will really become apparent just how rubbish Irish Rail’s services are. The fact of the matter is that without proper line upgrades, and that means, re-building and realignments to eliminate restricted sections. Rail transport will simply not be able to compete with the new roads.

To ensure the future of Ireland’s rail service. I firmly believe that IE needs to be disbanded and a new body set up to take over the management of services and oversee a revamp of the network. Otherwise, inter city rail transport in particular is going to die a slow and painful death!