Madam, - It was disappointing to read Proinsias Mac Fhearghusa's letter of June 13th, opposing the Western Rail Corridor in order to argue the case for lines to Navan.
In all my years of campaigning for rail development, I have never played one rail project off against another. It is legitimate to make a priority list of rail projects, and other people's lists may be different from mine. But it is unhelpful to oppose a project. The Western campaigners and Meath on Track have much common cause - they both believe that rail development is a good investment in the economy.
Why is Mr Mac Fhearghusa so willing to believe this strange statistic about the WRC carrying only 750 passengers a day? It looks suspect. I would like to add a further point about estimating how many passengers will use any new train service. Consider the many innovations in train services over the years - new routes such as Limerick-Ennis, or new stations, or trains at different times of the day, or commuter extensions (eg to Gorey). Often CIÉ or Irish Rail originally resisted the pressure to innovate, but when they did, the service thrived, sometimes to the point of crowding.
So the original method of estimating must have been flawed. I wonder how many transport consultants are still using such flawed methods. A study of these reopenings would provide a means of correcting such methods. The success of the Limerick-Galway bus service also points to a large untapped demand.
In a route being promoted for reasons of regional development, the case rests on those additional journeys made because of the existence of a train service. The work to be done on the WRC is essentially the same as has been done on the other lines - renewing track and signalling, and refurbishing stations.
The WRC and the Meath lines have a lot in common. Both routes are amenable to be opened in stages, so the total cost can be spread over a number of years. Both were closed due to historical accidents and blunders, so that if any normality had prevailed, they would be operating and thriving today. So there is an element of restitution of a service wrongly taken from the people.
I am totally behind the idea of restoring a railway to Navan. But I can't back Mr Mac Fhearghusa's movement if his tactic is to oppose a normal restoration in another part of the country. - Yours, etc,
ALAN FRENCH, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.