New €6 million investment for Irish Rail- Minister Kelly
Issued : Monday 19 September, 2011
Investment will bring Wifi to 63 new trains, line speed improvements & fuel savings.
Public Transport Minister, Alan Kelly, has announced a €6 million investment programme for Irish Rail. The funding will go to line speed improvements, further rollout of wifi on the train service and important fuel saving technology to reduce costs.
The funding is coming from reallocated capital within the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport and is being spent on works that will be completed by year end.
"It is vital that our limited funds are spent well and give value to the exchequer. If we want to offer people a proper level of public transport this will require investment. This funding will greatly enhance both the customer service Irish Rail offers as well as equipping them with the ability to reduce costs in the future. It's a win-win," stated Minister Kelly.
Under the initiative, an additional €1million will be spent on improving journey times between Portalington and Dublin, €1million on ticket validating machines and €300K for the additional roll-out of wifi on 63 rail cars and €600,000 for order point heaters to ensure depots are not unduly affected by a harsh winter.
"It is vitally important that public transport remains a strong option for those who commute. This Government is committed to improving the public transport system and the consumer experience. It is vital that every penny is stretched to the maximum benefit of the users of public transport," concluded Minister Kelly.
| Project | Proposed allocation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line Speed Improvement Design & Work | Major programme to enhance railway competitiveness in terms of travel time to major urban centres. | €1 M | Work would commence on parts of mainline from Dublin to Portarlington | |
| Order Point Heaters | Programme to reduce impact of harsh winter conditions on service | €600K | ||
| Provision of WiFi on the remaining ICR fleet | Enhances customer experience & gives competitive advantage over other transport modes. Last section of fleet to be so equipped | €300K | ||
| Loco Fuel Savings Enhancement | Green alternative that also reduces operational costs | €400K | Device to limit idling time to improve fuel efficiency and reduce costs | |
| Security Enclosures for new ATMs | ATMs have impact on manpower costs and provide easy access for customers (security enclosures are essential for ATMs outside stations) | €860,000 | Protection for 91 machines to be purchased for the Non GDA, at approximately €12,500 each with the majority of expenditure this year. The remainder - €150K - would be required next year. | |
| LED Signals | More efficient and less maintenance | €900K | ||
| Purchase of ticket validation machines | Exit Validation is priority for manpower savings and revenue protection | €1 M | For stations in key regional cities and towns. The ticket validation programme will enhance revenue protection capability on both access and egress and also improve the passenger throughput. All machines would be smart card enabled. | |
| Embankment Stabilisation | reduces threats to services in high risk areas | €900,000 | ||
| Station Upgrades on Lightly Used Lines | Requirement to keep assets on all lines in good repair | €140K | ||
| TOTAL | €6.1 M |
