It’s the same old story , Dublin, Dublin. Twenty billion euro for a few kilometres of rail between the airport and the city centre, and not a single rail line for the rest of us. Nothing for Cavan, Monaghan, Fermanagh, Tyrone, or Donegal. These counties might as well not exist when it comes to transport planning.
They ripped up perfectly good rail lines years ago and never replaced them. Now, we’re expected to cheer while they pour billions into a tunnel project that’ll take twenty years and probably twice the budget. It just proves once again that if you’re not inside the Dublin circle, you don’t exist.
Here’s a comparison of population density between Swords, Cavan (county) and Donegal (county):
Key figures
Area Population (2022) Area / relevant area Density estimate
Swords (town, Fingal) 40,776 9.900 km² ≈ 4,119 people per km²
County Cavan 81,704 1,856 km² ≈ 44 people per km²
County Donegal 167,084 4,764 km² ≈ 35 people per km²
So with two rail stops in Cavan town and Donegal you’d be serving nearly quarter of a million people. Not to mention Fermanagh, Meath etc along the way.
You are right it’s a no brainer really. Probably serve 500,000 people
I drop my daughter to Nenagh train station 7.40 for train to Limerick. €3 fare. Bus services connect Nenagh with all the villages around Lough Derg, several times daily. And they got fucked out of government for it. Bizarre
