Waterford Chamber of Commerce is seeking a meeting with senior management in Iarnród Éireann to discuss rail services to the city and, in particular, the future of the line to Limerick Junction, which has been under threat.
As well as looking for more frequent and faster services between Waterford and Dublin, the chamber believes that the line from Waterford to Limerick Junction is being under-utilised and fears it could be earmarked for closure again. There are only two passenger trains on weekdays in each direction linking Limerick with Waterford, the third and fifth largest cities respectively in the Republic. And after September 6th, this will be reduced to just one train in each direction. There is no Sunday service.
Tipperary's biggest town, Clonmel, is also on this route but is badly served. The evening train from Waterford via Carrick-on-Suir, Clonmel and Cahir leaves Waterford seven minutes before the arrival of the evening Dublin train. With proper links at either Waterford or Limerick Junction, a Clonmel-Dublin trip could be possible in just over three hours.
There is plenty of scope to develop more passenger and freight traffic on the railways, argues Mr Frank O'Donoghue chief executive of Waterford Chamber of Commerce. He is convinced that the provision of additional services with better timetabling could attract far more people on to the railways.
Commenting on the Waterford-Limerick route, he says: "It's a dreadful service. The infrastructure is there and it should be used but it seems to us that Irish Rail have only one programme and that is to close the line."
The line from Waterford to Limerick Junction was threatened with closure as recently as last November. Passenger revenue on the route is estimated to be less than €500,000 per annum. The line still has mechanical semaphore signalling and has not been upgraded like most other lines under the recent on-track investment programme.
Based on revenue and passenger numbers, the case for closing the route appears hard to argue against. However, industry observers point out that a radical review of operations could increase passenger numbers.