NTA considering possible new midday service on Ballybrophy line

THE National Transport Authority (NTA) is giving consideration to a possible new midday service on the Ballybrophy line as part of a current review of services.

Labour leader Deputy Alan Kelly had raised the issue in a Parliamentary Question to the Minister for Transport in January, which was referred to the NTA for reply.

In that reply, Anne Graham, Chief Executive of the NTA, told Mr Kelly that “consideration is being given to the provision of an additional midday service on the Ballybrophy rail line as part of a timetable review across the rail network, which the NTA is undertaking in conjunction with Iarnrod Eireann (IÉ). It is likely to be a number of months before the review process currently underway is brought to a conclusion.

“Of course, the provision of additional rail services will be subject to the availability of resources, including funding. In that regard, it should be noted that there is no provision in the 2022 budget for PSO services for any additional service on the Ballybrophy line,” she added.

Commenting on the reply, Deputy Kelly said that “following meetings with members of the North Tipp Rail Partnership I submitted a request to the Minister for Transport that the National Transport Authority consider putting on a new scheduled service on the Ballybrophy line to help customers who need to use the service at that time of the day.
“This would facilitate customers who need to need to make journeys for appointments and also make more possible connections to other transport services along the way. I’m glad that the National Transport Authority are now going to consider this and if it is approved I do not believe that funding it will be a big issue,” said Mr Kelly.

The North Tipperary Community Rail Partnership (NTCRP) welcomed the comments made by the NTA’s Chief Executive Anne Graham.

“We note Minister Ryan told the Oireachtas Transport Committee on January 26th that there was a need to invest in the line and he was of the view that strategic use needs to be made rather than “let them just chug along at bare minimum use or do we want to make strategic use of them? I think we should make strategic use of them. I think we should build new stations along that line.”

The NTCRP agrees with the Minister and welcomes Iarnród Éireann (IÉ) CEO Jim Meade’s comments to the committee on Thursday, answering a question from Deputy Michael Lowry, that the IÉ is awaiting confirmation for additional funding of €6.5 million by Ministers Ryan’s department to allow the completion of the upgrade of the line with CWR by the end of 2022. The renewal of four miles is already funded in this year’s budget and this will allow the remaining eight miles of old track to be upgraded.

“Ms Graham’s reply to Deputy Kelly noted that there was no additional funding provided in the PSO for the line for additional services in 2022. We will work with Deputy Kelly and all our political stakeholders to ensure that Minister Ryan’s department provides additional funding in the 2023 PSO for more services to be introduced on the line,” they said.

Virginia O’Dowd chair of the NTCRP said; “This is good news. We believe that IÉ should be able to introduce the transformational middle of the day service in early 2023, when this funding is provided.

“We know the train to provide the service is available, and with the upgrade now planned to be completed by the end of 2022, it’s a realistic target to allow the third service to be introduced in early 2023, if Minister Ryan’s Department provides additional funding.”

Ms O’Dowd added; “It allows sufficient time for IÉ to ensure the additional driver resource needed to operate this service, is put in place. We ask all our Deputies and Senators to lobby the Minister to ensure this funding is put in place to deliver this as soon as possible.”