Nenagh train campaigners call on NTA to listen to the voices of users

The National Transport Authority has been urged to “listen to the voices” of the people who are using the Ballybrophy rail line through Tipperary.

The line serves Roscrea, Cloughjordan, Nenagh and Birdhill, as well as Castleconnell in county Limerick.

North Tipperary Community Rail Partnership made their call following the presentation last week of the results of a survey they carried out earlier this year to Marian Wilson of the NTA.

The survey showed that timetabling remains the main barrier to more people using the line.

The most important reasons that people don’t use this train line more often are the frequency or timing of trains not being suitable (important to 95%), lack of convenient linkages of this train line with other public transport services (e.g. buses, taxis, other train lines) (important to 69%), and the low speed of the train (important to 71%).

Many respondents took time to describe in detail how the timetable doesn’t suit them for commuting for work or college to Limerick or Dublin in particular, for example “I’ve a son going to college in Limerick soon, and it will be hard to get him there using public transport. We can’t afford a car for him. And he can’t afford to live there”.

Releasing the full survey report, which is available online, Elaine Baker, a member of partnership, called on the authorities, including Iarnrod Eireann and the National Transport Authority, to listen to the voices of people living along this railway line and put in place a better and more frequent timetable”.

The results of the survey can be found at: https://bit.ly/railsurveyreport

The group said that it will continue to engage with the NTA and other authorities on a regular basis to ensure that the voices of people living along the line are heard.