Press release From: The Western Rail Trail campaign
September 5th 2018 for immediate release
· Passenger figures on Western Rail Corridor show route has failed despite increase in numbers
· Only achieving 52% of original business case target.
· Massaging figures cannot deny underlying failure
· Report into extension of Western Rail Corridor will have to consider failure of Ennis/Athenry line
A spokesperson for the Western rail Trail Campaign to preserve the alignment of the closed rail line from Athenry to Collooney by utilising the route for tourism and leisure as a greenway, until such time as a railway may be possible, today said recent claims that the Western Rail Corridor phase one from Ennis to Athenry is a success story due to increased passenger numbers need to be examined closely.
The spokesperson said headline figures released by supporters of extending the railway north of Athenry do show growth in usage of the railway line between Galway and Limerick re-opened in 2010 but on closer analysis are not an indicator of a great success story.
Figures released to Sean Canney TD by Irish Rail were discussed on September 4th on the Galway Bay FM Keith Finnegan show. The greenway campaign were aware of these figures as they had already been released by Mayo County Councillor, Gerry Murray of Sinn Fein/West on Track in August on a Facebook post. Mr Canney is very closely associated with the Mayo based West on Track group.
Mr Canney referred to 133,000 people using the Ennis/Athenry railway line in 2017 compared to 43,000 in the first year the line was opened in 2010. Whilst this may appear to be a large increase in numbers they need to be put in context. 133,000 passengers in 2017 amounts to 52% of the passenger numbers forecast in the original business plan. The figures equate to 31 passenger on average per train; half a bus load.
The original business case to re-build the railway line from Ennis to Athenry, providing a rail link between Limerick and Galway was based on achieving 250,000 intercity passengers from Galway to Limerick by year five (2015).
The figures are transparent. The numbers using the Ennis/Athenry line as intercity passengers is 133,000; this represents 52% of the business case used to persuade the Government of the time to spend just over €100 million on this project; plus the ongoing subvention of over €3 million a year required to run the line.
The bulk of the numbers quoted in relation to passenger traffic on the western rail corridor are commuters using the Ennis-Limerick and Athenry-Galway lines, lines that already existed before the government built the Ennis-Athenry section for over €100 million.
The simple facts are after eight years in operation achieving 133,000 passengers using the Ennis/Athenry line as intercity passengers from Galway to Limerick when the business case said there would be 250,000 is not a success, it is a failure.
ENDS: body text 386 words Contacts: Brendan Quinn 087 4198193
email brenquinn@eircom.net