‘Let’s build on the progress already made’ - Brian Leddin

The outgoing government made significant progress on key rail projects for Limerick and the Mid-West region. The first trains will be running on the re-opened, 42km Limerick to Foynes railway in about 12 months time. But even more significantly a railway to Shannon and a full metropolitan railway system are now on the cards due to their inclusion in two critical strategy documents, namely the All Island Strategic Rail Review (AISRR) and the Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (LSMATS). It is a matter of “when” not “if”.
This investment in critical infrastructure will help eliminate traffic congestion by providing a speedy and comfortable option for commuters from across the region, taking thousands of cars off our roads. New stations at Ballysimon, Raheen, Parkway, Corbally, Adare, Patrickswell, Mungret, Annacotty, Moyross and Shannon will be connected by a high frequency, modern and comfortable train service the envy of any other part of Ireland and comparable with any ambitious, fast growing European city-region.
For the most part, this Metropolitan Railway System is about upgrading and maximising the rail infrastructure that we already have. Limerick is an unusual city in the Irish context in that it is the only one outside Dublin that is served by more than two railway lines. Cork has two, Waterford and Galway have one each. Limerick has four. These are the lines from Colbert Station to Limerick Junction, to Galway, to Ballybrophy (via Castleconnell and Nenagh) and finally, the afore-mentioned Limerick to Foynes railway. It is for this reason a full, interconnected system is deliverable quickly and relatively inexpensively.
The only “new” element will be a spur connecting Shannon to the rail network at either Cratloe or Sixmilebridge. It is my understanding that Clare County Council had the foresight over many decades to ensure that a route from Cratloe to the industrial estate and airport was kept clear of any development that would impede a future railway. Were this route to be selected it would pass through Bunratty with obvious benefits for tourism. There are arguments to choose the Sixmilebridge route instead, but, whichever is selected, it is certain that the new railway will elevate Shannon Airport to an international airport of significance. New airlines will be drawn to it offering new routes to the UK, Europe and further afield taking pressure off Dublin Airport and making Shannon an attractive option to travellers from across Ireland.

Construction on the Foynes railway is well underway, but a less heralded project - the “double tracking” of Colbert Station to Limerick Junction - is advancing too, with consultants already appointed by Irish Rail. When complete the prospect of frequent rail shuttle services linking re-opened old stations at Boher, Dromkeen, Pallasgreen and Oola will become very real.
If we were starting from scratch the cost of this infrastructure would be tens of billions of euro, and would not be feasible. Thankfully, instead of facing a cost of that magnitude we have existing railway lines of that value. Not only does it make sense to make better use of these to alleviate traffic, it is the critical infrastructure that is required to unlock fast and sustainable growth of the Mid-West.
It is predicted that the Irish population will climb by about a million people in the next 15 years. But will Limerick and the Mid-West grow, or will that growth all happen in Dublin with our part of the country being downgraded as a mere feeder to an increasingly bloated capital?
The metropolitan rail system will do three things that will ensure the former rather than the latter. Firstly, for a few reasons, regions with this kind of infrastructure are more attractive for foreign direct investment than those without it. Job creation would be stimulated, possibly on an unprecedented scale depending on other factors. Secondly, connecting all the towns and suburbs I have mentioned by high frequency rail services will make all of them candidates for residential development (with some being designated as Strategic Development Zones) and, thirdly, good rail services make places appealing places to live, to work, to study and to rear a family.
Having made so much progress to date it is crucially important that the new government accelerates delivery of this infrastructure and prioritises it in the programme for government.