All aboard for the Ross lair express

So here we go again.  The old leaked report that the Minister is studying on his desk. Once more Minister Shane Ross is said to be studying a report to include for closure the Gorey Rosslare railway.  It’s hard not to be cynical about Irish Rail, its management and its practices.  Minister Shane Ross cut his political teeth on his scepticism about Irish Rail corporate governance and protection of assets.  Surely as he studies the document he’ll recall Irish Rail’s past failings and he’ll call management to book.

And account they should.  Irish Rail still operates a management based on notional districts rather than around the services they actually deliver. Irish Rail has capitulated in the freight division to road freight.  This despite the EU directive that by 2030 30% of all freight to travel over 300 Km must go by either rail or shipping.  Roll on Brexit and our need to diversify our markets beyond the UK and how are we doing so far? Well we’ve less than 0.5% so far. Irish Rail freight has just 4 customers. How can you run a business based on that? The proposal to end passenger services to Rosslare tells you all you need to know about their sense of vision post Brexit. The fundamental economics of the rail industry is that it moves freight very efficiently large distances. On top of that passenger services are the extra, not the core business.

Doubtless we’ll hear about the number of passengers on social welfare passes and the failure of the government to pay enough. Irish Rail has a point on this one, but it’s wider than social welfare passengers.  The network was cut to the bone in 60’s and that was supposed to be that. Instead there are real fears that what will be left is Dublin/Cork and Limerick with commuter services and little else. 

The failure of the operator to maintain infrastructure means that speeds on the line are dropping which means that journey times are longer when compared to motorways.

And there’s no place like home either to tell you how Irish Rail play hard and fast with figures to get the decision they need when it suits them.  About 7 years ago Irish Rail pointed up annual losses of over €2M on the Rosslare Waterford line as grounds to suspend passenger services on that route.  Key to the business plan for closure was the cost of manning 24 hours the Barrow Bridge. The signal box on the bridge controls the swing engine on the bridge allowing access to New Ross up the Barrow. The NTA allowed the company to reduce costs by scheduling the shifts on that signal box with the pilot’s hours at New Ross Harbour as part of the plan to suspend services.  Incredibly the bridge remained manned in the last 7 years by Irish Rail.

Irish Rail has failed to promote international passenger services through Rosslare Europort. You cannot buy a Sail Rail ticket from the Irish Rail website.  So is it any wonder people are flying with budget airlines when the rail operator does not compete?

The advantage of a rail network is that you can take a passenger from station to station for the same price all year round.  I don’t live close to an airport. Most airline passengers either have an inward journey to their departing airport and an outward journey when they land. Dublin Airport’s passenger numbers will this year exceed 25M. The nearest railway is about 4 miles away over open flat farmland.  Where is the vision to connect up the rail system to Dublin Airport so as to tap into that market?

And to finish off, let’s not forget that the report is based on data collected in November 2015 on the day before Storm Abigail when people were warned not to make unnecessary journeys. It’d be funny if it wasn’t so serious. However at least Minister Ross has a track record on seeing through the waffle when it comes to Irish Rail. He has a track record in business. Irish Rail is a business and needs to be run business-like.  It’ll be interesting to see his response and how he’ll deal with the issue.  It’s one thing to be a prisoner of officials, it’s another thing to have a belief.