Dublinto Wexford railline is doomed
April 1984
A County Wexford TD warned this week that the Dublin-Wexford-Rosslare Harborur rail passenger line is doomed as he has learned from ‘a senior source’ that it will be closed on June 11th this year.
Deputy Hugh Byrne said he understands the decision has already been taken by CIE and will be formally announced by the Minister for Transport in the coming weeks. However, he has vowed to fight it ‘ tooth and nail’, saying ‘I will lie down on the railway line to stop the last train moving out of Wexford, if necessary.’
CIE’s decision to end the freight service from Dublin to Wexford last week was a prelude to the closure of the passenger service too, he claimed.
He added that the company also plans to close the Rosslare Harbour to Limerick Junction line, but wouldn’t announce both Co. Wexford closures at the one time because the public outcry would be too great. Apart from protests in Wexford, they could also expect anger in Waterford, Tipperary, and Limerick.
CIE had finally come around to implementing the controversial McKinsey Report, the Fianna Fáil TD said this week. And once again Wexford and the south east were suffering, because of the ‘ lack of clout’ at Government level.
Former Fianna Fáil TD, Lorcan Allen, referred to the McKinsey Report at a Wexford County Council meeting on Monday.
He said the blame would rest on the heads of the three Fine Gael TDs in the county if the rail line was closed.
He said the report suggests closing the line and either running a bus service from Rosslare Harbour all the way to Dublin instead, or else putting passengers on a bus to Waterford to allow them to take the train from there. This would involve passengers ‘going on safari’ to get to Dublin and back, he said.
Fianna Fáil TD John Browne said the removal of the freight service was the thin edge of the wedge, and soon the passenger service would go as well. In a scathing attack on top management in CIE, he said they were acting like ‘Little Hitlers’. They couldn’t manage a corner shop, let alone a transport company, he claimed.
Cllr Pat Codd said CIE had already downgraded the line when closing the Ferns and Camolin railway stations. He was alarmed that all other stations would now end up closing too.
Cllr Denis North suggested there would be more chance of retaining the Wexford to Dublin service if TDs used it to travel to the Dáil. He said Cork TDs use their train service, and there are never any problems there.
Deputy Hugh Byrne replied that he would rather travel in a cattle truck than a CIE train. Their service is diabolical and their carriages are shabby, he said.
The Council decided to write to Minister for Transport, Jim Mitchell, to inform him of their concerns and to warn that any decision to close the line would not be taken lightly by the people of Wexford.