Minister stakes political reputation on delivering rail project

Hopes that Navan would have its commuter rail line to Dublin in five years' time, initially dashed in media reports on Monday morning, now appear to be back on track with the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey going on the offensive yesterday (Tuesday) and insisting that the project would be going ahead as planned, despite being left out of the Government's capital spending review document launched this week. The combative Trim TD, in an interview given to this newspaper on Monday evening, rounded on his Opposition critics, accusing them of peddling negative information about the project. He insisted the project remained on the transport agenda and was progressing through the Railway Order process, in effect the planning application for the project. "It is still progressing, and when the money is needed to complete it, it will be there," he added, saying that the 2015 timeframe for the rail link still stood. The first phase of the new commuter rail service into Meath from Dublin will open in a couple of months' time when trains will run from the new M3 interchange station at Pace, just outside Dunboyne, into Docklands Station in the city. Park and ride facilities at Pace will see sufficient parking for over 1,100 cars per day, giving Meath-based commuters another option for getting to their places of work. Phase two of this project is supposed to extend the line from Pace as far as Navan, with intermediate stations at Dunshaughlin and Kilmessan, by 2015. While the first phase of the rail link will be an important commuting option for city workers from south, central and north Meath, those wanting to use the train will still have to drive almost as far as the Dublin border before getting public transport. And if they are using the new M3 to get to the park and ride facilities at Pace, they may have to pay two tolls if they are coming from Kells or north Meath, at a cost of €2.60 per journey - and then pay to park at Pace. It is considered crucial to the future of Navan's economic wellbeing that the line be extended as far as the county town within the next few years to allow it develop as envisaged. A failure to proceed with the Navan rail project would certainly make it more difficult to attract investment and industry to Navan, the benefits of the M3 motorway nothwithstanding, given that it has been identified as a primary growth centre. One councillor has already raised the possibility of at least one major retail development in Navan not going ahead if phase two of the rail project does not happen. Already, considerable work has been done on planning and designing this significant piece of infrastructure and it would be a bitter blow to those who have long campaigned for it were it to be shelved at this stage, particularly at a time when great emphasis is being put on moving people from car-based commuting towards the utilisation of public transport. Rail is seen as the way forward, not only to beat congestion on the roads, but also to reduce carbon emissions and aid the battle against climate change. The chairman of CIE, John Lynch, already has indicated to Mr Dempsey that the Railway Order for the Navan-Pace phase of the project should be completed by spring 2011, or possibly even earlier. The minister's intervention has certainly brought some clarity to the confusion caused by the reports earlier in the week, though some will remain unconvinced that he can deliver this project within the next five years. Despite the scepticism of his doubters, Mr Dempsey has remained adamant that this project will be going ahead as scheduled and will be delivered by 2015. That is good news and his constituents will now look to the minister to deliver on his promise - and ensure funding is ring-fenced for it - within the five-year time horizon he has outlined. He has, in effect, staked his political life on ensuring it happens.