A LIMERICK commuter who wants to use public transport has appealed to local Fine Gael Deputy Kieran O’Donnell, who is chairman of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, to get Irish Rail to provide better rail connections to and from the city.
Brian Hayes said he was shocked on returning to live in Janesboro after years working in Dublin to find he still can’t get a train to work in Ennis.
“There’s only one track, so there is only one train traveling on it at a time. I understand that it’s important for people to be able to get to Limerick from Ennis to work but it means that people in Limerick, like myself, who work in Ennis can’t get any train that would get them there before 9am.”
He said he has been a long time supporter of public transport, given all the considerations, including climate concerns and used buses and trains regularly while he lived in Dublin, but has now been forced to travel by car.
‘It was a bit of a shock when I moved back to find I would have to use the car to get to and from work,” he said.
He contacted Deputy O’Donnell after reading media reports of plans for the proposed upgrade of the line between Limerick and Limerick Junction to double track, which could result in journey times to/from Dublin being reduced by around 20 minutes.
“If there was a passing loop on the Ennis line, two trains could operate at the same time,” said Brian who pointed out that as it stands, the 40-minute journey time between Limerick and Ennis “is slower than a car”.
“Now, more than ever, it is important to encourage people to consider more sustainable means of travel in an attempt to reduce our carbon footprint and meet our climate goals,” he said.
