[Thomas J Stamp]

the problem here is that IE have to deal with an bord snip, and the economic situation.

leaving aside the fact that in times of recession they should not cut infrastruture at all it just seems to me that IE have got a mindset that lines and kit can be sacrificed at will. Rosslare, Ballybrophy and Clonmel are preserved in my opinion simply so that they can be sacrificed in due course.

the WRC is not going to be cut, too much political capital has been invested in it. it will get the treatment, however. after a few years service levels will be reduced to Ballybrophy/Clonmel/Rosslare levels and all at the wrong time which will alow it to be shut between Ennis and Galway. So, ten years or just a little over there.

as for kit, well, there is more new kit arriving, presumably already paid for, which will be deployed on commuter lines (although in a few years commuter may be the best definition for the entire network), and which will see a cascade down of the existing 29K stock.

Its a long way from 2 hourly service on every intercity route...