Sir, – Joe Lynam ("How to solve housing and transport mess in one go", Opinion & Analysis, February 29th) asks why can't Ireland build a new high-speed railway line from Belfast to Cork via Dublin similar to Japan's Shinkansen network, which moves millions of people every day at speeds of up to 320 km/h.
Wonderful as the idea may be, the cost of building and equipping such a railway line of circa 440km would make the children’s hospital and broadband projects pale into insignificance. Based on the mid-point of the UK department of transport’s current estimates for the 552km HS2 project (€163m per km), Mr Lynam’s proposal would cost €72 billion! With the inter-city rail distances that pertain in Ireland, it is doubtful if speeds of 320 km/h are warranted.
However, investment in the existing national rail network could deliver higher speeds without the requirement to purchase land or build an entirely new railway. For example, competitive journey times of two hours Dublin to Cork (265km), and 1½ hours Dublin to Limerick (205km), Dublin to Galway (207km), Dublin to Waterford via Kilkenny (178km), and Dublin to Belfast (180km) are achievable with average speeds of 130 to 140 km/h. This would require the network (permanent way and signalling) and rolling stock to be capable of operating at speeds up to 200 km/h (125 mph). The single-line sections between Limerick Junction and Limerick, Portarlington and Athlone, Athenry and Galway, and Cherryville Junction and Carlow would also need to be doubled (they were singled over 90 years ago).
To deliver such inter-city journey times requires train performance that can only be achieved by electrification of the mainlines from Dublin to Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, and Belfast and the procurement of compatible rolling stock. Based on a figure of €20 million per km, upgrading the Dublin to Cork mainline would cost €5.3 billion.
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If this were completed first, the additional 35 km from Limerick Junction to Limerick would be a further €0.7 million; to extend from Portarlington to Galway via Athlone €2.8 billion; and Cherryville Junction to Waterford via Kilkenny €2.5 billion. On the same basis, the portion of the Dublin to Belfast mainline within the State (95km) would cost €1.9 billion; a total of €13.2 billion for the inter-city network.
A sum of €2 billion has already been allocated for conventional rail in the National Development Plan 2018-27, primarily for the Dart expansion project, which is aimed at providing frequent rapid transit electric train services between Dublin and Maynooth, Hazlehatch, and beyond Malahide to Drogheda. Continued State investment beyond 2027 could, over time, deliver a 200 km/h inter-city railway system that offers competitive journey times utilising a sustainable mode of public transport. – Yours, etc,
GERALD BEESLEY,
CEng, FIMechE, FIEI, FIAE
New Ross,
Co Wexford.