Welcome to West=On=Track

PRESS RELEASE Thursday 26 January 2012
From the West = on = Track Community Campaign

West on Track calls for Independent
Review of Operation of Western Rail Corridor

The possibility of opening up the Galway-Limerick section of the Western Rail Corridor to other operators such as the RPA has been mooted in a statement by West on Track, the community-based campaign group who have led the campaign for the reopening of the railway. The campaign group has called on the Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar to examine the operation of the "new" railway over the past two years with a view to guaranteeing standard intercity services to rail users in the Galway-Limerick-Cork corridor and to ensuring maximum value for money to the taxpayer.

"The real scandal in the story of the Western rail Corridor is not that the project went ahead but that it was undermined from within from the very beginning.

"The Department of Transport can no longer hide behind the mantra that this is "an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann." Rather it is the duty of the Department and the National Transport Authority to ensure that the investment made by the taxpayer is seen to bear fruit," said a spokesman.

"Were Iarnród Éireann to operate the same Intercity Service on the Galway-Limerick line as they do on the Dublin-Cork Line, services between Galway and Limerick would take just over an hour instead of more than two hours at present. If Iarnród Éireann are unwilling or unable to operate an intercity standard service on this route then the Department of Transport should instruct the National Transport Authority to tender the route to other operators such as the RPA which has made such a stunning success of the Luas, or to other transport operators."

"We are told that we have an intercity railway but we do not have intercity services in any way comparable to other routes. Despite repeated requests for change we are provided with second class trains, a refusal to offer direct Galway-Cork services, irrational fare structures, zero marketing, non-interactive website support, no on-line ticketing, non-existent interaction with the communities served, a haphazard system for monitoring passenger numbers or feedback and lost opportunities for more attractive commuter options.

Either the Department of Transport now takes proper control of the situation or there needs to be an independent review of the operation of the WRC to date together with full transparency as to what has been spent to date and where. Are the people of the West & North West to be denied proper public transport for present and future generations north of Galway as a result of the failure of Iarnród Éireann to operate a commuter and intercity service on the Galway-Limerick route, bearing any resemblance to that promised in their customer charter?

It is no longer acceptable for higher authority to wring their hands - it is time to exercise leadership.

ENDS
Lo Call 1890 946 200

Press Release from West on Track, Thursday 19th Jan, 2012

News Flash - "Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics
Download press release as PDF file.

Tuam takes its First Step to a bright Rail Future

Monday September 27th marked the official 150th anniversary of the opening of the Tuam-Athenry railway. Over the previous 16 days Tuam station was transformed thanks to a magnificent effort from more than 170 members of the local community. All resources, both physical and financial were donated free by the community.

Tuam Railway Station, County Galway

The press and local people turned out in force, along with senior Irish Rail management, Minister Éamon Ó Cuiv and local government representatives. The Minister confirmed that IÉ has allocated euro1.9million for the design and development work of Tuam - Athenry and that a project manager, Mr James Kenny, had been appointed.

See more photos here.

Phase 1 of Western Rail Corridor now operational

After a gap of over 30 years and following a long campaign by West on Track, rail services between Limerick and Galway recommenced on Tuesday 30th March. The new route which is Phase 1 of the Western Rail Corridor was officially launched on 29th March 2010 and full schedules are now in operation. (See photos, details below).

Fares (Cost per Day Return)

Galway-Limerick euro20 return Monthly commuter from euro10 return Taxsaver daily return from euro5 return Half price Student and FREE OAP fares	Less for shorter journeys: Gort-Galway monthly commuter euro6 Taxsaver return from Ardrahan, Athenry or Craughwell to Galway from about euro3 Ennis-Limerick monthly Student from euro4 return Sixmilebridge-Limerick monthly commuter euro4
Book on www.irishrail.ie	Galway 091-564222 Athenry 091-844666 Ennis 065-6840444 Limerick 061-418666

Gort Railway Station, County Galway (see more photos down the page)

Phase 1 Limerick-Galway

Phase 1 of the Western Rail Corridor was officially launched on 29th March 2010 and full schedules are in operation as of 30th March with very promising passenger numbers reported.

Phase 2 of Western Rail Corridor

Following a complete survey by Iarnród Éireann of the railway from Athenry to Claremorris in January 2010, costings are currently in preparation to enable the commencement of work on Phase 2 of the Western Rail Corridor from Athenry to Tuam later this year. This second phase of the railway is scheduled to reopen in 2011.

Overview Of Project

The first phase of the WRC renewal will:

Deliver direct Galway to Limerick services, timed to meet commuter needs
Serve Limerick, Ennis, Athenry and Galway; and new stations at Sixmilebridge, Gort, Ardrahan, Craughwell
Expand commuter links to Limerick and Galway
Promote balanced regional development, in line with National Spatial Strategy objectives, by linking two Gateways - Limerick and Galway - and serving the hub of Ennis

The investment project delivered by Iarnród Éireann has involved:

renewal of 36 miles of track, including all necessary fencing and drainage and installation of points and crossings at Gort and Ennis
a 90m platform with furniture, signage, shelter, Automatic Ticket Vending Machine, lighting, car park, PA, Customer Information Systems, help point and CCTV provision at Sixmilebridge, Gort, Ardrahan and Craughwell. These stations will also be accessible to the mobility impaired
At Ennis and Athenry stations, PA, Customer Information Systems, help point and CCTV has been provided
Repair and improvement work has been undertaken on bridges on the route to allow rail services to operate:
- modernised signalling systems
- improvement to level crossings, and elimination where practicable

Services

The service will launch with five services in each direction, Monday to Saturday, serving all stations en route, with four services each way on Sundays.

Services will operate from 30th March according to the timetable you can download here as a PDF file.

Ardrahan Railway Station, County Galway	Ardrahan, County Galway
Ardrahan Railway Station, County Galway	Craughwell Station, County Galway
Craughwell Railway Station, County Galway	Craughwell, County Galway
Ennis Railway Station, County Clare	Gort Railway Station, County Galway
Gort Railway Station, County Galway	Gort Station, County Galway
Infrastructure near Tubber	Tubber, County Galway