Extend the Line

As a former employee of Irish Rail, I have a great love and interest in railways and am fully supportive of the further development of the rail network in Ireland. However in South Kilkenny we have a situation of timber freight being transported into Waterford train station. It is then off loaded onto trucks and transported by road to the timber processing plant five miles away, near the Bellview Port. What makes this crazy is that the rail line passes within a mile of the timber plant and also when the timber is transported by road it passes through Ferrybank, which is a built up residential area.

It is time that Coillte, Irish Rail and Waterford Port Company to put their heads together and resolve this situation. The solution is so simple; all is needed is a small rail spur to be built directly into the plant. This would eliminate the need for the timber lorries to travel through Ferrybank. The Irish Exporters Association estimate that "One freight train takes 50 40-foot heavy good vehicles off the road, which results in a whole load of savings to the economy in the form of reduced road congestion, pollution and road accidents”

This should be a win win situation for everyone, the people of South Kilkenny get less lorries on the road and there is no need to pay the cost of transporting the timber by road from Waterford Station to the timber plant. Once again all that is lacking is the will and determination to make it happen.