The below submission is on the behalf of the Cork Commuter Coalition, an advocacy group pushing for better public transport and sustainable mobility in the Cork Metropolitan Area. We are a Cork based group, and as such, our attention is focused mainly on projects and schemes in the Cork Metropolitan Area. However, sometimes there are plans elsewhere in the country that have significant repercussions on transport in Cork. The GDA Transport Strategy 2022-2042 is one such plan.
Our main objection focuses around the rail aspect of the plan, and specifically the Dart+ Tunnel, formerly known as the Interconnector, between Heuston and Connolly Stations. These two main termini are the endpoints of the Cork to Dublin and Dublin to Belfast routes respectively. The distance between them makes any connection between these stations difficult, and makes a direct Cork to Belfast route almost impossible. It is with disappointment that we note the Dart+ Tunnel has been omitted from the remit of this plan, and simply delayed until the post-2042 period. Of the three major cities on this island, Cork and Belfast are the only pair without a direct rail connection. The lengthy travel gap between Connolly and Heuston significantly increases the travel time between these two cities – from between 4 and 5 hours by car, compared to 6 hours by train (including cross-Dublin interchange) – making travel by car comparatively more attractive to travel by train. There are also notable economic implications from this, as with less connectivity comes less integration, and reduces any chance of taking opportunity from Northern Ireland’s unique post-Brexit constitutional position, and creating a more unified coastal economy between Cork, Dublin, and Belfast.
At a time when the Europe-wide trend is more rail connection between major cities, it is disappointing to see that rail connection between these major cities is being abandoned to a future generation. While there are other issues with the GDA Transport Strategy 2022-2042, such as similarly stretched timeframes for many planned Luas routes, we feel that our friends and colleagues at the Dublin Commuter Coalition will be best placed to comment on these.
Yours,
Members of the Cork Commuter Coalition
Cork Commuter Coalition 