*Michael O’Doherty; Claire Harkin; Louise Kearney; Michael Browne; Cllr Pat Hayes; Nollaig Barry; Aishling Tuohy; Brian McCarthy, Clare County Council; Helena McElmeel, Architect; Dermot O’Sullivan; and Cllr Tony O’Brien.
CRUSHEEN is at the centre of an RRDF application from Clare County Council with locals eager to see their rail stop reopened.
On Monday last, the local authority hosted an information evening in Crusheen on the Draft Crusheen Mobility Plan and the launch of an RRDF application to support the reopening of Crusheen Railway Station, development of a Community Hub and Creche and the detailed design of future Public Realm Works in Crusheen.
In 1976, Crusheen’s original rail stop closed. The case to reopen the stop is gathering momentum, a socio-economic report from Repucon Consulting published in September detailed an estimated market of 1,700 commuters and students currently living in the catchment of the station and an estimated economic value to the local economy of €25million arising from associated employment opportunities.
Several locals gave their views on the plans to The Clare Echo. Stefan Zakewski, originally from Poland but living in Crusheen for a number of years spoke about when the idea was first proposed. “There was a public meeting I think seven or eight years ago in the community hall and it was a disaster. The politicians were sitting up front, berating the locals to pull the finger out to make pressure and get the station reopened again. There was very little interaction. The lame excuse that we had for not getting the Crusheen station opened again was there was a gradient on the line”.
On the possible benefits offered by the reopening, Mr Zakewski added “Some of the figures that I’ve seen and heard at face value seem to be pretty high but when you actually stack up the numbers it makes sense. It;s obviously worth a consideration. Infrastructure here is poor enough and has been neglected, run into the ground by both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. We need something like this. I would use the train”.
Crusheen woman Catherine Brigdale says she would use the train if it was available. “I’d go to Galway probably because I’d only be going shopping and Galway is handier. Living here, I presume it would add to the community and the economy”. Ms Brigdale works in the Clarke’s Daybreak locally and says that train traffic would help to boost business in the area.
Patrick O’Halloran was eager to see the development come to fruition. On the potential €25 million injection, he says “It’s hard to know because we have the train station in Ennis as well but it definitely would be a massive benefit to people around the local area here as well, 100%. My wife and I were only talking about it during the weekend, it’s just so convenient, you’re not worried about parking or anything”. The Crusheen man said that the project would be money well spent.
Joe Colleran disputed the findings of the socio-economic report, “that’s nonsense,” he said of the €25m value to the local economy. “I don’t know would enough people use it to be honest. It’s for people I suppose who don’t have cars, someone wants to do a bit of shopping in Galway. It depends on how much its costing for the amount that’s being got out of it, that’s what I’d be weighing up really”.
Brian Clarke, owner of the only shop in the village, Clarke’s Daybreak thinks that the trains would eventually pay dividends but not initially. He said local politicians “are doing their best”, to get the project moving forward. “They all seem to get the spake in”, he added. “It’s realistic but its futuristic. People are being pushed more and more off the road and there’s no alternative”.
The local business owner also spoke of the benefits offered by the train. “If you’re a student in Galway and you have maybe one or two lectures, you can hop on the train, you’re only ten minutes from the university. It would certainly take pressure off families, especially if you have two kids in college”.
