Bad news for some rail plans

[ThomasJ]

from breaking news
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/g...me-466856.html

The Government has rescheduled major parts of its decentralisation programme, and shelved two large rail projects as part of its revised capital investment plan unveiled by Taoiseach Brian Cowen this afternoon.

Under the programme, €39bn will be spent over the next five years, with a shift away from spending on roads in favour of public transport, and a considerable investment in water infrastructure, and school building.

The plan will fund the move by Dublin Institute of Technology to a new site at Grangegorman and will also allow for the construction of Metro North in Dublin.

However, the Dublin to Navan rail line and the Tuam to Claremorris line have been postponed and there will be no new investment in the Luas.

Plans to move the Department of Education to Mullingar and the Department of Enterprise to Carlow will not now proceed.

The Government estimates that 30,000 jobs will be supported by the programme.