Irish Rail has definitively abandoned its new schedule for Dublin’s suburban rail services after attempting to implement changes to accommodate more intercity trains. However, unforeseen bottlenecks and delay issues, primarily on the city’s northern routes, proved too complex to overcome. Therefore, the previous timetable will be reinstated starting from next week.
Management at Irish Rail has expressed apologies for the unexpected disturbances caused, acknowledging a concerning shortfall within their operational capability. However, the blame does not solely rest on Irish Rail. The lack of substantial investment in the suburban rail network since the Dart’s inception in 1984 has made the provision of more intercity and suburban services challenging.
The struggle encountered when attempting to include just one additional train from Belfast into the existing system calls into question the practicality of multiple rail strategy proposals released by the Department of Transport under this Government.
The effects of years of insufficient investment in infrastructure are now manifesting not only in rail services but also in the electricity grid and water supplies, causing similar chokepoints. This makes the government’s pledges on addressing the paramount issue of housing seem as unattainable as their plans for the rail network.
The recent budget announcement of a potential investment of up to 3 billion euros from the sale of the State’s AIB shares into water and energy infrastructure is promising. However, the allocated additional funds of 1 billion euros for Irish Water and 750 million euros for the electricity grid infrastructure might not suffice. To meet the State’s requirements, an enormous investment is needed in these areas as well as transport.
The idea of using the anticipated Apple windfall of 14 billion euros to remedy these long-standing deficits might seem irrefutable. Nonetheless, planning and delivery continue to pose significant hurdles.