The Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) has held preliminary discussions with Cork City Council officials about developing a light rail system for Cork.
RPA chief executive Frank Allen confirmed that he had a meeting in Cork yesterday with council officials to examine the feasibility of establishing a light rail system to service the greater Cork area.
He said that the discussions were at a preliminary stage and any light rail service would have to be part of an integrated land use strategy developed in a review of the Cork Area Strategic Plan (Casp).
Yesterday discussions between the RPA and council officials coincided with the launch in Cork of an initiative by the Green Party calling for a light rail service to ease congestion in the city and surrounding hinterland.
Green Party leader Trevor Sargent was joined by party colleagues Cork South Central TD Dan Boyle, Cork North Central candidate Cllr Chris O'Leary and Cork East candidate Sarah Iremonger to detail transport proposals including a Luas-type light rail service and a water bus service on the River Lee.
Mr Boyle said the Greens envisaged that the first phase would involve the construction of a line from Ballincollig on the west side of Cork city through the city centre to the southeastern suburbs of Blackrock and Mahon.
It would also involve the construction of a spur from Cork Institute of Technology in Bishopstown through Wilton to serve Cork University Hospital before joining up with the Ballincollig line at Victoria Cross, he added.
A second phase would involve the construction of a light rail system to Rochestown, Passage West and Monkstown as far as Crosshaven, with the possibility of a further extension to Carrigaline, which has one of the highest rates of car commuting in the country.
A third phase, which would be technically the most difficult, would see the light rail link to the north side the way trams in the 1920s - despite the steep gradients - had run to Dillons Cross in the northeast and Sunday's Well in the northwest.
Meanwhile, Mr O'Leary revealed that a private operator had expressed an interest in running a commuter service on the River Lee, bringing people from Cobh, Crosshaven, Ringaskiddy, Monkstown, Passage West, Little Island, Mahon and Blackrock to the centre.
The council is already carrying out a feasibility study on a water bus service, but the private operator has made inquiries about providing a ferry-type service, said Mr O'Leary.
