Iarnród Éireann chairman says 'extension of Western Rail Corridor is absolutely our priority'

The Chairman of the Board at Iarnród Éireann, Steve Murphy, has reiterated that the preservation of the Western Rail Corridor as a railway is an 'absolute priority' for the railway company.

Speaking on the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk, he said that if greenways are put on existing rail alignments they will never be got back for rail use.

Responding to a query about a possible greenway on the rail line from Claremorris to Collooney, Mr Murphy stated: “The extension of the Western Rail Corridor as a railway is absolutely our priority.

"We think it’s a crucial build on the success of the existing Western Rail Corridor that I remember working on 20 years ago when I was here in an operational role. So that’s very much our priority.”

Mr Murphy also spoke optimistically about future plans for Ireland’s railways, including the doubling of track in various parts of the country, the acquisition of additional rolling stock and the modification of locomotives to work on hydrogen.

He also paid particular tribute to IR Chief Executive Jim Meade for his ‘outstanding contribution’ to the development of Ireland’s railways in recent years.

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