Shannon Municipal District Fianna Fáil Councillor David Griffin has welcomed the recommendation of a rail link to Shannon Airport in the final All Island Strategic Rail Review.
The Department of Transport in Ireland and the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) in Northern Ireland have published the Final Report of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, developed in the context of the “New Decade, New Approach” agreement.
This ground-breaking Report, approved for publication by the Irish Government and DfI Minister, sets out a strategic vision for the development of the rail system across the island of Ireland over the coming decades.
It outlines 32 strategic recommendations to enhance and expand the rail system in Ireland and Northern Ireland up to 2050, aligning with net carbon zero commitments in both jurisdictions, including the delivery of a rail link to Shannon Airport.
Minister for Transport, Ireland, Eamon Ryan, stated: “This is an important day for the island of Ireland. This is not just the first All-Island Strategic Rail Review, it is the most ambitious vision for rail in a century, bringing us forward to a new age of rail. This vision has been made possible by close cooperation between the Departments and agencies north and south.
“Rail not only allows us to carry more people and freight in a more sustainable way, it is the great connector, enabling greater regional accessibility and balanced regional development. The Report provides a long-term vision and a series of recommendations for the sustainable development of the rail network on the island. I would like to see the recommendations actioned as soon as possible, and I am pleased that work is now well underway, with European Investment Bank assistance, on how we can move forward.”
Shannon MD Councillor David Griffin said: “The idea of a rail link to Shannon Airport has been mooted for many years, and its inclusion in the recommendations of the All Ireland Rail Review is important.”
“Shannon is a unique airport, and the development of a rail spur, which will deliver better integration to public transport linkages, would be a huge benefit for the airport.”
“When we look at the potential benefits, it is a no brainer to progress this project. The report proposes the building a spur from Sixmilebridge or Cratloe to Shannon Airport. This intervention could include developing new stations between the airport and Limerick to be served by a new urban rail service centred on Limerick.”
“However, when we speak of rail we cannot forget the flooding issues in Ballycar, which need to be comprehensively addressed. I spoke, along with Deputy Cathal Crowe to Jim Meade, the CEO of Irish Rail some time back, and impressed upon him the very real need for the flood relief plans, which would involve a drainage channel from the Ballycar area, out to Lough Gash and ultimately out to the estuary to be progresses. These flood relief works also need to be tackled in my view.”
Griffin concluded “I welcome the inclusion of the rail link to Shannon, which along with the proposed 24 hour bus service could vastly improve connectivity to the airport into the future, but this is a 2050 plan, and this element of the plan needs to be fast-tracked for the benefit of the airport and the wider region.”
