Call for commuter rail link to Galway

A new commuter rail link should open along the existing Galway mainline route, according to Galway Chamber of Commerce.

Chronic traffic congestion between Galway city and its eastern suburbs could be relieved by Iarnród Éireann building stations on its land between the city and Athenry, according to the chamber.

The stations, which would be sited to serve Oranmore and the eastern approach to the city, would cater for the boom in commuter housing in Galway over the past decade, the chamber's president said.

Dr Chris Coughlan, who is also on the management team at Hewlett Packard where almost 600 staff are based, said the numbers of people now working in the city had grown "hugely" over the past decade.

He said the development of the stations represented "little more than agreeing to halt the train" as he insisted there was sufficient land in the railway company's ownership to build a platform "and there is not a lot of work in that, you would almost do it yourselves".

A spokesman for Iarnród Éireann, Mr Barry Kenny, played down the idea, commenting that the trains did not stop because "there is no population demand for the service". Mr Kenny said the Strategic Rail Review, which was one of the most significant reviews in recent years, had not recommended such a move because of the lack of population.

However Dr Coughlan criticised Iarnród Éireann's approach, arguing that the company should encourage a demand for its services, instead of "being negative".

"If the people who took part in rural electrification said there was no call for it, there would be no ESB in the region. But you have got to say this is where we will plan development and take action accordingly. I have no doubt that if Iarnród Éireann opened a station at Oranmore it would be well used."

Dr Coughlan also called for other railway improvements in terms of some trains being designated a non-stop or one-stop service between Galway and Dublin. He also said Iarnród Éireann should supply new rolling stock, put on a city-gold service like that between Dublin and Cork and "make simple improvements in cleanliness and quality".

Responding, Mr Kenny said the focus of Iarnród Éireann's strategy over the past five years was to "invest in the track replacement as a safety issue and to ensure that services survived into the future".

Mr Kenny said 67 new inter-city carriages would be delivered this year and while most of these would go into the Cork service, "key services" in Galway would attract the new trains. The company also hoped to be in a position to order new rolling stock later this year.