Closure of a number of rail links in the south-east and midlands was considered by Iarnród Éireann as one of a number of cost-cutting measures, it was confirmed yesterday.
A spokesman for the company, however, said there would be no closures as long as it remained Government policy to maintain the existing rail network.
Politicians, business representatives, farm leaders and Iarnród Éireann workers yesterday attended a meeting in Wexford to express their concern about the prospect of rail closures in the south-east.
However, the chairman of CIÉ, Dr John Lynch, told The Irish Times last night that no rail links would be closed.
Concern about possible closures arose following a recent Iarnród Éireann board meeting, at which a number of measures to reduce a prospective €25 million deficit this year were discussed.
Mr Barry Kenny, spokesman for the company, said the closure of a number of links had been put forward by management as one of the options open to the company.
The Gorey to Rosslare Harbour, Waterford to Rosslare Harbour, Limerick Junction to Waterford and Ballybrophy to Limerick routes were among those mentioned as possible candidates for closure.
No decision had been taken to close any of the lines and there were no plans to do so, Mr Kenny said.
It was Government policy, in fact, to expand the rail network and the possibility of opening new routes, or reopening old ones, was being discussed as part of the strategic rail review due to be completed before the end of the year.
At yesterday's meeting in Wexford, Mr Tony Tobin, of the railway service division of SIPTU, said workers worried about the possible closures were not scaremongering.
He said if there were no closures planned, the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, should provide an assurance to that effect in writing.
Mr Tobin said the shutdown of the south-east rail links, as well as the threatened withdrawal of Iarnród Éireann's freight service around the country, would lead to the loss of about 600 jobs.
The Mayor of Wexford, Ms Philomena Roche, said she would not believe the company's denials until she saw them in writing.
"Wexford is already suffering from a lack of investment and recent job losses and the effect of this will be to cut us off completely," she said.
"The whole development strategy seems to be aimed at cutting off south Wexford and concentrating on Waterford."
The president of Wexford Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Mr David Sinnott, said his organisation had lobbied Iarnród Éireann for over two years to upgrade the Dublin/Wexford line.
He said the current timetable was not conducive to those travelling to Dublin for business purposes because the first train from Wexford town left at 7.44 a.m. and arrived at Connolly Station at 10.23 a.m. As a result, the route was largely under-utilised.
"With Co Wexford now considered within the Dublin commuter belt, it is essential that the county has an early morning service which will deliver passengers into Dublin by 9 a.m.", he said.
Co Wexford IFA representative Mr George Williamson said the livelihoods of 450 beet growers in south Wexford would be affected if the line closure from Rosslare to Waterford went ahead.
"I'm shocked and dismayed at these proposals," he said.