Top level report suggests Western Rail Corridor extension ‘is not value for money’

A top level report has found that the extension of the Western Rail Corridor (WRC) would not provide value for money and would do little to counter traffic congestion or reduce carbon emissions.

The financial and economic appraisal was commissioned by Iarnród Éireann in 2019 and has now been published by the Department of Transport.

A section of the rail line between Athenry and Ennis reopened in 2010.

Costing €106 million, it allowed for the reintroduction of train services between Galway and Limerick.

And plans to re-activate the line northwards to Tuam (Phase 2) and then to Claremorris (Phase 3) were abandoned during the last recession.

The latest report by EY Accountancy examined the case for further expansion of the line and put the cost of reopening the line to Claremorris at €263.8 million.

This would cover the installation of 52km of track, as well as the necessary signalling and infrastructural works along the route.

Projections are based on the line being operational from 2026, with annual passenger numbers of 575,000 by 2030.

The majority of these journeys would replace journeys on buses (67.5%) rather than car journeys (22.8%).

This would deliver €2.2m in revenue to Irish Rail, but operating and maintenance costs would be in the region of €3.6m per year.

While the revenues generated by reopening the WRC would not cover operating costs, the EY report also assessed the wider economic benefits that might stem from the expansion of rail services.

However, it found that the length of the line, travelling via Athenry to get into and out of Galway, meant road travel would remain faster, even allowing for congestion on the approach routes to the city.