Action to be taken to resolve ‘chronic flooding’ on Limerick-Ennis railway line

A NUMBER of organisations have this Wednesday committed to action to “resolve the problem” of chronic flooding on the Limerick-Ennis railway line.

The Joint Committee on Rural and Community Development has welcomed progress on rectifying the problem of groundwater flooding on the Ennis-Limerick railway at Ballycar in County Clare.

At today’s meeting of the Committee, leaders from Iarnród Éireann, the Office of Public Works and Clare County Council signed a letter committing their organisations to pursue a joint programme of action “to resolve the problem on the railway at Ballycar.”

They said the engineering and planning consultancy RPS had been contracted to provide a report proposing a solution by the spring of 2019 that would include measures to mitigate any potential impacts in the River Shannon catchment area.

The Committee had made progress on rectifying the Ballycar flooding a work priority. At a May meeting, the Committee challenged Irish Rail, the OPW and Clare County Council to work together to find a solution.

“The Committee is extremely pleased to see developments moving in the right direction after so many years of groundwater disruption to rail services on the Ennis-Limerick section of the Galway-Limerick railway,” said Committee Chairman Joe Carey TD. 

“We welcome the united commitment of Irish Rail, the OPW and Clare County Council to hold regular meetings focused on solving the chronic service disruptions caused by groundwater at Ballycar,” Deputy Carey said.

“We expect to receive more signs of concrete progress towards a sustainable solution when the three organisations report back to the Committee in six months’ time with the RPS recommendations in hand.”

The Geological Survey of Ireland, which also participated in today’s meeting, will also provide technical input to the action.