Rail maintenance centre to create 80 jobs
Around 80 jobs are to be created at a new €65m rail maintenance centre in Portlaoise, it emerged today.
With plans underway to bring in 120 new intercity carriages on track Martin Cullen, Transport Minister, said the move showed the Government’s commitment to investing in the regions.
And he said the train care centre would match the state of the art fleet already rolling out on the country’s rail lines.
“There is no point in having high spec trains if we don’t have the high spec facilities to service them,” the minister said.
“That is why from early on, the Government and Iarnrod Eireann designed a strategy that would not only deliver better trains, but deliver a better service.”
It is hoped the introduction of modern rolling stock will see 11 million passengers using the rail network every year.
Building work at the maintenance unit, due to begin now, is expected to be complete by 2007 with 300 construction workers employed on site.
The traincare facility will service carriages running from Dublin to Westport, Ballina, Galway, Tralee and Waterford routes.
Mr Cullen said the new fleet, costing €260m, would be the most modern in Europe by 2008. And he said he wanted the Government’s short-term investment in public transport to be boosted by long-term planning.
“This facility puts Portlaoise at the very centre of Irish Rail’s Intercity operations,” he said.
“We said we would continue to improve our mainline rail services by investing in the necessary rail infrastructure – track, carriages, depots and stations.
“If our public transport is to continue to improve, if we are to meet our goal of getting people out of cars and onto rail and bus services, investment matched with long-term planning must succeed.”
