Speech by Mr. Martin Cullen TD, Minister for Transport at Iarnród Éireann's Best Station Awards

Date: 20 March 2007

Chairman Dr John Lynch, ladies and gentlemen

I am delighted to be here today for the presentation of Iarnród Éireann's Best Station Awards, sponsored by Waterford Crystal. Now in their 15th year, the awards scheme and the quality of the nominees highlights for us all, once again, the good health of the railway service.

Growth in Services and Passenger Numbers

Year on year for the past 10 years the number of passengers using the railway network has grown to reach a total of over 43 million in 2006 - a massive 46% increase on 1997. More and better services carrying increased passenger numbers are being provided throughout the country.

Investment

This has not happened by accident. It is due to the sustained efforts by the management and staff of Iarnród Éireann and sustained investment by this Government since 1997. Total capital and current investment in the Iarnród Éireann network over the period 1997 to 2006 has amounted to over €3.9 billon - €1.9 billon in capital (including over €400m from the EU) and in excess of €2bn in current funding. Exchequer funding in 2007 will amount to nearly €600m. This sustained high level of investment has funded a range of infrastructure upgrades, which have revitalised the railway service. Over €950 million has been invested in the Railway Safety Programme since 1999. This has funded the renewal of over 420 miles of track, the removal or upgrade of over 800 level crossings and the upgrade of over 180 bridges.

The balance of the € 1.9 billion capital investment in the railway network since 1997 has funded other major infrastructure projects such as the Maynooth Line upgrade, the DART upgrade, the Heuston Station re-development and, most recently the new Dockland Station, opened by An Taoiseach on 12 March. These, combined with major rolling stock upgrades, have enabled Iarnród Éireann to expand the number, and improve the quality of, services throughout the country. Among the major improvement in services we have seen are:

- more than a doubling in capacity on the Maynooth line

- the doubling of capacity on the DART since 2001,

- the introduction of hourly services on the Cork-Dublin line,

- major station upgrades such as the Heuston Station upgrade.

Transport 21

The pace and momentum of the upgrade of railway infrastructure and rolling stock is being accelerated under Transport 21, the Government's investment programme for transport. A range of projects are already underway with more planned to start this year. The first of 183 new railcars, which will revolutionise the inter-city railway service, arrived in Dublin on 6 March. Work is due to commence this year on the Kildare Line Upgrade and the Western Rail Corridor. Planning and design work is already progressing on the Navan link and on the interconnector and electrification projects in the Dublin area.

The outlook is good for the mainline railway network. It is set to play an increasingly important role in providing us with a sustainable transport system.

Best Station Awards

The provision of a good public transport service however requires more than just infrastructure and rolling stock. These are the key elements, but they must be supported by punctual and reliable services and high quality customer service. In this context, comfortable station facilities, high levels of cleanliness, and good public information systems for keeping customers informed of service changes are all of critical importance in creating a "feel good factor" among customers about the service. They are important in securing and retaining customers. They also help in creating great goodwill towards the service, which can be drawn on when the inevitable service disruptions occur. Frequent customers, who benefit regularly from high levels of customer service, will tend to be supportive of the company.

Iarnród Éireann, with Exchequer assistance in some cases, has been doing good work in recent years in upgrading stations. These awards complement this work by recognising excellence in customer facilities, cleanliness, innovation and customer service in the country's 135 railway stations. It is clear from the nominations and awards that there is a widespread commitment throughout the organisation to presenting the company, its services and facilities well. There is an obvious pride in the services being provided and a desire to serve the customer. This augurs well for the future development of railway services and all our efforts to secure maximum value from the huge investment of taxpayers' funds in the upgrade of the system.

Conclusion

In conclusion I congratulate in advance, all of you - the nominees and award winners across all of the categories. I thank you wholeheartedly for your positive presentation of Ireland's railway service. I encourage all of you to keep up the good work of continually seeking to improve the levels of customer care in terms of punctual and reliable services, comfortable station facilities and efficient customer information arrangements. I also wish to acknowledge the support of Waterford Crystal - the sponsor of the awards scheme and to thank them for their participation and involvement.

Finally, I do not want to let the occasion pass without remembering the heartache that many people are going through today as they grieve for their loved ones lost on our roads this weekend. I would ask every one of you here present today to make a conscious commitment to help make our roads safer. By just improving on one driving habit, each one of us can do just that.

Thank you.