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Unread 14-09-2010, 16:54   #20
ccos
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Kazbegi
Posts: 281
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Lots of people don't have cars (or may have their car unavailable) and have to use a train no matter how good the road is.
People who want to drink can't (shouldn't) drive and would like a train bring them home.
Cities and towns have finite car space, if everybody drives there they wont all fit in.
Its nice to go on holidays without the expense of airport parking
Tourists dont always hire cars.

There are many reasons why people have to use railways.

Railways are not in competition with motorways.
Countries with better motorways than Ireland typically have have better railways.
Some African countries have a policy of not improving roads parrallell to major railroutes (Trans-Gabon and the Dakar-Bamako railway spring to mind) this has not detered people that have cars from driving or led to a fantasic rail service.

A frequent well timetabled route with good onward connections is what makes a railway work.

When IE announced said they were withdrawing passenger services on the route my feeling was they already had as 6 return Trains per week does not constitute a service.
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