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Unread 07-04-2008, 22:36   #17
Derek Wheeler
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kildare
Posts: 1,555
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I think this line should be closed south of Bray once the N11 upgrades are complete. Its a joke thats costing tax payers a fortune and has very limited development potential that cannot be served by the private car and expressway bus. Its not and never will be an intercity line. Neither does it provide any additional benefit to Rosslare Europort. Likewise the line from Rosslare to Waterford should be scaled back to make it a viable commuter line to Waterford city.

The only reason the rosslare line is still open is because of the europort and its IE link. They wanted to cut it short at Enniscorthy, but realistically the line is redundant after Bray. I say close it. Greystones doesn't need its quaint little "DART" service and the maintenence costs that go with it. Wicklow, Arklow and Gorey "commuters" would get more benefit and efficiency from improved roads and express buses. The argument applied to closing certain railways in the 60s has actually got more relevence now than it did then.

Im not deliberately setting out to be controversial, but the line is sucking funds from the likes of Waterford - Limerick, which in effect is an InterCity line. If we are to go the WRC route (Limerick - Glaway and all its faults) then lets apply decent thinking to lines that link population centres. The Rosslare line's population decreases as it travels southwards. I don't often support IE, but I think they are right in relation to this particular line. Its an opinion Ive had for a long time, but can express now.
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