New or reopened passenger rail links between the regional cities and new, privately-funded terminals at Dublin Airport are among the transport and infrastructure proposals put forward by the progressive democrats.
While in Dublin, the main rail transport proposals remain supportive of current strategy, new policies would impact strongly on the regions.
The PDs envisage reopening passenger rail traffic between Limerick and Castlebar, a move with the potential to open up a significant western commuter corridor.
This would support economic development along an axis from the Shannon estuary via Galway to north Mayo. The proposal was widely expected to be one of the recommendations of the Government's overdue National Spatial Strategy and and would bring a critical mass of population within the catchment areas of the major cities and town in the west.
The PDs also propose to upgrade passenger rail services between Limerick and Waterford and the Cork commuter lines. Again, this would bring a mass of population within access of these cities, a factor which could significantly influence investment decisions over the next few decades.
The PDs would end the running of Cork and Shannon airports "by remote control from Aer Rianta's corporate headquarters at Dublin Airport" by granting them full autonomy. This would include freedom to set their own charges and the ability to enter into joint ventures with the private sector.
The PDs guarantee that Cork and Shannon will not be worse off by restructuring and have pledged Exchequer support. The position of small supports to the smaller regional airports would continue.
But the party would see major change at Dublin Airport, where it envisages the development of new terminals, independent of Aer Rianta, which would be funded entirely by the private sector. The new terminals would cater for the projected growth of Dublin Airport over the next 20 years. As an interim measure, the party would press ahead with the development of Pier D to introduce new services between Dublin and Europe.
The party plans to replace the current legislation in relation to CIÉ's near bus-monopoly. However, it does not favour all-out privatisation and would seek to use a system of franchising for city and regional networks to ensure non-profitable routes were not abandoned.
In Dublin, the PDs would press ahead with much of the proposed rail, metro and Luas developments, but bringing forward a number of deadlines such as the proposed Luas extensions to Saggart, the Docklands and Cherrywood, to an operational date of 2006.
The party believes a privately funded metro from Sandyford to the airport could be in place by by 2007; from the city centre to Blanchardstown by 2007; from Sandyford to Shanganagh, near Shankill, by 2008; and from Dublin Airport to Swords by 2008.
The PDs would also press ahead with Iarnród Éireann's investment programme for Dublin, lengthening platforms, improving signalling and facilitating a 50-mile fast access rail service for 1.7 million people. The proposals envisage, for the first time, a high-speed bus link through the Phoenix Park, between Heuston station and Blanchardstown.
The document commits the party to carrying out the motorway programme by 2007 as envisaged by the National Development Plan.
The public/private partnership element of this may be controversial as questions have begun to arise over the levels of subvention for private operators, which may include the Government paying up to two-thirds of the construction costs up front, and then granting a 30-year toll concession.
The party identifies private finance and a new national transformation fund as sources of financing for the programme. The fund would come from the sale of State assets.
