New Rail Transport Lobby for Ireland

cypana

please visit:

www.platform11.org


thanks

Typedef

cypana.

Care to give a bit more information as to the nature of platform11 and why, people (at large) should be concerned, (in your view) about rail closures?

Typedef.

jd

Originally posted by Typedef
cypana.

Care to give a bit more information as to the nature of platform11 and why, people (at large) should be concerned, (in your view) about rail closures?

Typedef.

Well I'll answer for him.
1) A properly developed train service is more environmentally friendly for inter-urban travel (eg Dundalk->Dublin->Arklow)
2) Surely with the publication of the government spatial strategy IE should be looking at future growth in development gateways and hubs, and the opportunity it will present for travel between these centres in the future.

FRom the website
Platform11 represents the future of rail in Ireland. A future that goes beyond the management of Iarnród Eireann and their disregard for their customers, coupled with their institutional culture of tunnel vision regarding railway development nationwide.

For too many years, various diverse groups around Ireland concerned with rail development and innovation have presented proposal after proposal, strategy after strategy to CIE and their successor Iarnród Eireann, only to have their vision and noble efforts consigned to the dustbins of Heuston Station. Tragically, history has shown that these groups’ progressive thinking was very often correct. IE/CIE management are once again, exporting their Harcourt Street catastrophe of 1958 to the rest of the nation, while expecting Irish taxpayers to pick up the tab at some future date – this proves that they have learned almost nothing in the last 40 years.

Iarnród Eireann’s Platform 10 on the outskirts of Heuston Station epitomises the institutionalised dysfunctionality of this fossilised entity and its profound inability to plan and implement sensible rail solutions for Ireland. Hence, our name indicates that we view railways beyond the current understanding/agenda of the management of Iarnród Eireann. Platform11 is the beginning of a new and progressive railway culture in Ireland.

Platform11 will:

undo the spin and expose the misleading statistics used to justify railway closures

foster rightful, active ownership of the rail network among the Irish people

educate, inform and empower communities across the country about Irish railways and the nature of train services along with their social and economic importance to the local community and the nation as a whole

lobby for a Progressive Rail Bill, ensure the establishment of a Rail Regulator and a Statutory Rail User's Group, and fight to preserve all rail alignments

promote badly needed innovation and creativity in railway transport solutions ensure Irish taxpayers’ money is spent intelligently on rail projects nationwide, and not just in the Greater Dublin region

bring about a positive future for rail transport in Ireland, replacing IE/CIE management’s obsessive desire to repeat the failures of the past while expecting the Irish taxpayer to foot the bill for suffering the social and economic consequences of IE/CIE unelected decision makers