Do people take the train just because it's faster than driving/the bus?
It may be one factor, but I think it's some way down most people's priorities. People want to arrive reliably, on time, and in comfort. If you can sort those issues out, it's not going to make a great deal of difference to most people whether the journey takes 90 mins or two hours. If you want the get to Dublin during business hours, the problem is not around Newry, it's inside the M50.
Of course, we're a long way from sorting our those issues at the moment. We need to have trains that don't break down, that arrive when they're supposed to. We need train staff that treat customers with respect. We need to give them things they can't get in their car, like Wi-Fi. These are the things that will bring people back to the train, regardless of how good the motorway is.
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