[Article] Cullen still to sign-off €139m commuter upgrade

[comcor]

Cullen still to sign-off €139m commuter upgrade
By Sean O’Riordan

TRANSPORT Minister Martin Cullen, still hasn’t signed the Railway Order which would enable work to start on Cork’s €139 million commuter upgrade.

Nearly five months after a four-day oral hearing into the project was completed, the minister hasn’t signed off on the order.

He has also refused to outline whether there is any reason for the delay in replies to two Dáil questions.

It looks increasingly unlikely that Iarnród Éireann will be able to complete the reopening of the Cork-Midleton line by the target date of July next year — just 15 months away.





Midleton-based TD David Stanton has repeatedly asked the minister what the position is and he has become increasingly concerned that a cohesive plan to make the project as attractive as possible to commuters is not coming together properly.

The delay is puzzling many people, especially as nobody objected in principle and any problems encountered at the oral hearing seem to have been dealt with almost there and then by senior Iarnród Éireann officials.

In March 2004 then Minister for Transport Seamus Brennan said he hoped the railway would open in two years. Later Iarnród Eireann officials said early 2008.

Yesterday a spokeswoman for Mr Cullen said he was still studying the inspector’s report, but couldn’t say when he would make a decision on the Rail Order.

“It is quite an extensive report,” she said.

While the railway corridor remains intact, Iarnród Éireann will still have to put down the lines, erect signalling, bridges and three fully automated railway stations with park and ride facilities along the line.

These stations are to be built in Midleton, Carrigtwohill and North Esk, near Glanmire.

In addition there is to be an upgrade of the Mallow line with new stations in Kilbarry and Blarney, but that won’t be completed until some time after the Cork-Midleton line is up and running.

“As it stands, it looks unlikely that the Cork-Midleton project will be finished by the target date of July 2008. The population of Midleton continues to increase, leading to worsening traffic congestion on all roads in both the town and surrounding area, in particular during rush hours. There is clearly a demand for an efficient and affordable rail service to Cork, which should help combat the traffic problems,” Mr Stanton said.

Midleton Town Council member Ken Murray said he didn’t believe that a vital piece of infrastructure, namely the town’s northern relief road, would be anywhere near ready to coincide with the opening of the local railway station.

“The CPOs have been done, but there’s no start-up date for the project. Without the relief road people won’t be able to get through the town to the railway station. There’s been a lot of ranting and raving at town council meetings about this. It’s imperative the railway and northern relief road are done together,” Mr Murray said.

He added that he was “very disappointed” Mr Cullen was taking so long to sign off the Railway Order.

At the four-day oral hearing, which started in Midleton Park Hotel in late October, a number of Iarnród Éireann officials said they hoped to start construction on May 21 this year and commence driver training in 2008, with the official opening on July 29.

In its first year of operation the service is expected to carry 1.74 million passengers, rising to two million by 2010 and four million by 2015.

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[markpb]

While it's nothing new, it's good to see that the source of so many problems is being pointed out in public. Not that it'll help but at least some journos are finding their teeth while ministers are still in office.

[Mark Gleeson]

Comes as no surprise, even if Cullen signs today there is a 4 week period before the order becomes valid in which a high court challenge can be filled (as was done in Luas B1)

Now if they get started it will take about 18 months, quite a lot of civil works

[Derek Wheeler]

Personally I think its disgraceful and insulting to all the good work done by Cork CC over the years. While this line requires a railway order, at this stage of the game and despite all the announcements and re-announcements, just get on with it.

On a side note, isn't it perverse that Midleton is subject to a complete rebuild and in line with all current safety requirements because it requires a railway order? Meanwhile Ennis - Athenry gets done without the red tape and bypasses all the "bridging level crossings" whohaa for example.

Midleton was promised first. Deliver it first. It passed the economic assessments after many rejections. Cork CC built up development along the route. Why should any part of the WRC suddenly jump in ahead of it, after failing every professional assessment it was put through. (The McCann report doesn't even count) I was one of the P11 people who claimed in 2004 that the WRC would threaten funding for other rail projects. The signs that this is true are starting to emanate in a much clearer fashion now. I don't like being right in a scenario like this. Who would. But it has to said. Transport 21 and the politics behind it are on a collision course.

[MrX]

I think if this is delayed it'll be the end of some Fianna Fail political careers in Cork.

1) The airport debt
2) Job losses
3) Railway not completed?

I'd say FF TDs / candidates could have a tough time getting elected in any of the cork city / sorrounding constituencies if they're not careful.

Woudln't like to be Micheal Martin!

[Thomas J Stamp]

Fianna Fail Ard Feish is 23/24th March, if you're interested.

[IHIR]

Well, Martin Cullen has AGAIN shafted Cork commuters with the revelation by the Cork Examiner that they have noticed that Marty the Muppet has since teh CPO report 5 months ago, forgotten/chose not to sign the Railway Order authorising commencement of the Cork Midleton line . His spokespersons response was "well, it was a big report". Seriously!

I imagine then his deadline of it being operational by July 2008 has just extended the wait for commuters to prob 2010. And all this on the most re announced / announced / re announced / planned years ago / included under Transport 21 as a new project train scheme.

Martin is fast losing the battle to get the freedom of the city given that we waited 9 years for the Kinsale road roundabout (which they then had the cheek to tell us was completed ahead of schedule - in nine years i could have built it myself with a toothbrush) , the sarsfield road roundabout funding was pulled, as was the bandon road funding - where the traffic from the long delayed kinsale road now congests, kent station 21m redevelopment was reduced to 4m and CIE had the cheek to apply for a 24 storey building next to a site that only a month before was granted a max of 10 storeys, and FF TD's told us to "stop whinging" and pay 100 million to the airport that they said would be debt free

will someone please please please get this man out of the goverrnment? He's just inept