ANTHONY GRAY,
Madam, - There are now almost daily reports of heavy goods vehicles overturning on one or more of the major national primary routes. At best the volume of HGV traffic makes driving on these roads unpleasant. At worst the consequences are fatal.
What is the alternative? Is there any potential for shifting some of this traffic onto the railway now that so much money has been spent on track renewal, raising bridges and other infrastructure improvements? Ironically, it appears that Irish Rail is not too interested in conveying freight by rail, having recently withdrawn from the haulage of several bulk cargoes including gypsum, grain and timber.
There are strong indications that the company is not actively seeking new customers and in fact intends to further contract its freight business in the near future. New pocket wagons capable of running at passenger train speeds and handling larger containers lie unused. Is there really no potential traffic?
The question arises as to whether the current Irish Rail approach is in the national interest and in accord with Government and EU policy. Is there any long-term Government strategy? There may well be scope for an independent franchise operator to take over rail freight and develop the business as has been done with considerable success in other countries.
Such an approach would require the Department of Transport to devise an imaginative financial and regulatory framework to maximise the incentives for the operator and potential customers. - Yours, etc,
ANTHONY GRAY, Wheaton Hall, Drogheda, Co Louth.