*Shannon Airport.
FARMERS IN CLARE “have been held to ransom” over the uncertainty on whether a rail link to Shannon Airport will come to fruition while the economics of the spur have been questioned.
Thirty recommendations aimed at enhancing Ireland’s rail network have been included in the draft of the All-Island Rail Strategy Review, which was published in July. The strategy from the Department of Transport is aiming to deliver a €36bn investment in the country’s transport infrastructure over the next twenty five years.
Among the recommendations is the development of a rail spur at Shannon Airport. Route identification and protection of a potential future line to serve the International Airport has also been included in the Limerick-Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (LSMATS).
CEO of Irish Rail, Jim Meade has previously said the rail spur to Shannon would have a bill of hundreds of millions of euros.
A report published in October 2003 by the Shannon Railway Company detailed that a €60m commuter rail link between Shannon, Limerick and Ennis was “a viable commercial entity” through a public-private partnership.
In recent weeks, officials in the Shannon Municipal District returned a submission on the All-Island Rail Strategy Review from a “strategic environmental piece,” acting Director of Services, Siobhán McNulty confirmed. “Views on the links and updates required to improve the rail network” from the Council have also been provided to the Department.
An update on the rail link to Shannon Airport was sought by Cllr PJ Ryan (IND). “There is an inference to it in the report and we’re trying to strengthen it as a link to the town and the Airport,” McNulty responded.
Uncertainty on flooding at the Ballycar section of the rail line is a stumbling block, Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) maintained. “Where you have uncertainty on a through line, people can’t use it and won’t get into the habit of using it”.
Farmers are unfairly suffering as they are unable to utilise the lands currently earmarked for the link, Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF) stressed. “It is something we will have to tie down at this stage, farmers are waiting to see where the line is going and if it goes to Shannon. A former Director said it won’t happen in our lifetime, if it doesn’t it should be removed from the maps because farmers are held to ransom”.
Shannon MD’s most experienced councillor, Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) said the day of a rail link to Shannon Airport would not arrive. “At every opportunity I can I go to Dublin or Cork on the train because I love trains, there is no train going into Dublin Airport, it won’t change, we all aspire and wish for train to go into Shannon”.
He added, “farmers have been impounded for that long not able to extend their farm let alone houses is very unfair, I don’t think we will get a train into Shannon, I wish it would happen but I think with the Greens it is an aspiration, the economics alone don’t stand up”.
