LIMERICK City and County Council has been urged to engage with Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to ask that any civil works on the Limerick/Foynes railway line reinstatement will future proof it to become a dual line.
The call was made by Fianna Fáil councillor Martin Ryan at the December meeting of the council’s Travel and Transport SPC (Strategic Policy Committee).
Cllr Ryan told council members that he was proposing the motion to prevent incurring extra costs at a later stage.
“I wouldn’t like to see this become a vanity project. I would like to see some thought put into it,” Cllr Ryan commented.
Fine Gael councillor Dan McSweeney seconded the proposal and asked the council executive to see if a briefing from Irish Rail could be arranged.
Cllr Gerald Mitchell (FG) also supported Cllr Ryan’s motion and described it as a “common sense” approach.
“It is a very worthwhile motion and I hope that this line can be transformed for passenger rail,” he said.
Director of Transport Brian Kennedy told the SPC that the motion will now go to the full Council in January for approval. He also said he would ask Irish Rail if they are available to brief councillors.
Cllr Ryan then asked if Shannon Foynes Port Company might be invited to come and tell them about the plans they envisage for the future.
