[Article] Western Rail Corridor Rail route numbers low

[Mark Gleeson]

Rail route numbers low
GORDON DEEGAN

PASSENGERS NUMBERS on the long-anticipated first phase of the Western Rail Corridor are falling far short of projections made in the business case for the route.

In March last year, the €106 million route from Ennis to Athenry – connecting Galway to Limerick by rail – was opened after years of lobbying in the west.

However, figures provided by the Department of Transport in response to a Freedom of Information request show that passenger numbers between May and September last year averaged 4,800 a month. “This translates into an annual figure of between 62,400 and 67,158 which is well below the 100,000 trips assumed in the business case,” an Irish Rail official wrote.

The Iarnród Éireann business case anticipated the service would require an annual subsidy of €2.4 million to operate. Figures provided by Iarnród Éireann show passenger numbers from October to the end of December dropped, with a monthly average of 4,330.

© http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...291779125.html

[Colm Moore]

Assuming 67,158 passengers and 3,546 trains per year, thats 19 passengers per train.

A coach will carry 48-54 passengers.

[comcor]

But wouldn't the number of trains be double that as they make return trips

i.e. 10 trains per day

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by comcor

But wouldn't the number of trains be double that as they make return trips

i.e. 10 trains per day

You're correct. I've adjusted the above.

[Mark Gleeson]

Numbers using rail route ‘falling short’ of predictions
By Gordon Deegan
Thursday, March 10, 2011
PASSENGER numbers on the long-anticipated first phase of the Western Rail Corridor are falling far short of the projections made for the route.

a d v e r t i s e m e n t


In March of last year, the €106 million route from Ennis to Athenry — connecting Galway to Limerick by rail — was opened after years of lobbying in the west.

However, figures provided by the Department of Transport in response to a Freedom of Information request show passenger numbers between May and September last year averaged 4,800 per month.

An Irish Rail official wrote: "This translates into an annual figure of between 62,400 and 67,158, which is well below the 100,000 trips assumed in the business case."

A separate note states: "31,000 passenger journeys completed for periods four to nine, compared to 109,000 on the Glounthaune/Midleton line in the same period."

The Irish Rail business case anticipated the service would require an ongoing annual subsidy of €2.4 million to operate.

Separate figures provided by Irish Rail show passenger numbers between October and the end of December dropped to a monthly average of 4,330. The schedule timetables five journeys each way daily and the monthly average of 4,330 between October and November translates to an average 15.5 passengers per train journey.

The business case of February 2006 conceded the opening of the route "cannot be justified by the standard socio-economic analysis required by the Dept of Finance appraisal guidelines, the merits of the project must be looked at in the context of significant wider national and sub-regional planning benefits and social inclusion".

A spokesman for Irish Rail said the difference between the passenger numbers projected in the business case and those travelling can be accounted for by a number of factors.

He said: "We are operating five services each way daily — the business case is based on seven services each way daily; the dramatically changed economic environment since the publication of the business case and Oranmore Station has not yet opened and development elsewhere has, as with most development, come to a halt."

He said the numbers travelling were in line with what was envisaged .

Records released through the FOI Act show the WRC generated €133,000 in a five-month period in revenues, but it blanks out the costs of running the line as the department’s FOI unit deemed it commercially sensitive.

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Thursday, March 10, 2011


Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/numbe...#ixzz1GCD066L5

Same story more details.

For reference annual operating cost is approx 2.75 million with a loss of 2.4-2.5 million which fits the revenue numbers

[comcor]

That Glounthaune-Midleton figure is only around 16 people per train.

Although, it misses out on the fairly substantial numbers using the service from Cork-Glounthaune.