All Ireland Strategic Rail Review launched

Credit: William Murphy

Coolmine train station

All-island Strategic Rail Review launched

The Irish Government and the Stormont Executive have agreed to undertake an all-island Strategic Rail Review to consider unlocking the potential of the rail network across the island.

An agreement was reached at the North South Ministerial Council meeting in October 2020 that the Department of Transport and the Department for Infrastructure would work to “further develop draft terms of reference for a proposed study of rail speeds, to ensure the finalised terms of reference take sufficient cognisance of the need for balanced regional development, particularly in relation to connectivity with the North-West”.

In April 2021, the procurement process was launched by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD and Stormont Minister for Infrastructure Nichola Mallon MLA when a request for tender seeking expressions of interest in conducting the all-island Strategic Rail Review was published in the Official Journal for European Union. The Strategic Rail Review is reflection of the Irish Government’s New Decade, New Approach commitments.

The overarching objective of the Strategic Rail Review is to explore the contribution of rail in facilitating policy objectives, north and south, particularly those relating to climate change. This means examining how the rail network on the island of Ireland can be improved to provide sustainable connectivity between major cities and advance regional accessibility and development, as well as investigating the potential to increase rail freight. This means scoping enhanced high- or higher-speed rail services along existing or new potential corridors of the network, including design and operational proposals.

With an estimated value of €1,000,000 and a 12-month duration of contract, it is anticipated that the Review will commence by early summer 2021. The external consultants undertaking the review will be overseen by the two departments, alongside the National Transport Authority, the Commission for Rail Regulation, Iarnród Éireann and Translink.

Emphasising his firm belief in “the potential of rail in supporting social and economic development and the environmental sustainability of our transport system”, Minister Ryan asserted: “I’m particularly pleased that we’ll undertake this review on an allisland basis, working with our colleagues in the Northern Ireland Executive. The review will look at how rail can help better connect cities and regions across the island and will complement the investment we already plan in our commuter rail networks.”

Meanwhile, Minister Mallon remarked: “Travel by rail is an issue I am very passionate about and I believe it has massive untapped potential to deliver multiple benefits across our island. Since coming into office, I have been clear that it is my priority to address regional imbalance, tackle the climate crisis and better connect communities across Ireland.

“The All-island Strategic Rail Review will allow us to consider our network across this island to view how we can improve it for everyone. Building on our commitments in New Decade, New Approach to progress a spine of connectivity, this ambitious review, in partnership, will look at opportunities to enhance rail across our island.”

Transport key in new European emissions targets

Member states and the EU Parliament have come to an agreement for a new law enshrining targets for the reduction of carbon emissions. The transport sector will play a significant role if these targets are to be met.

The new law agreed between the EU member states and the Parliament states that the EU will cut carbon emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030 when compared with 1990 levels. The EU Parliament had pushed for a higher target of 60 per cent, but a compromise of 55 per cent was reached.

“Our political commitment to becoming the first climate neutral continent by 2050 is now also a legal one,” said EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen in April 2021 upon the agreement of the new law. “The Climate Law sets the EU on a green path for a generation.”

The EU Climate Law was agreed in April 2021 following months of talks between the member states and the Parliament. It sets a limit on the levels of CO2 removal that can count towards the 2030 target, which will ensure that states will be forced to focus on activities that actively lower carbon in their atmosphere rather than removing it via initiatives such as reforestation. Such measures mean that the onus will be on sectors such as transport to find cleaner ways to operate. climate measures and targets, with the EU Commission set to announce a package of climate laws in June to support the plans. While previous EU legislation had targeted a 40 per cent cut, the 55 per cent target was initially announced in December, although it was not enshrined into law until April amidst calls from the EU Parliament and environmental groups to go further. Frans Timmerman, the Vice-President of the EU Commission, said that the political agreement reached was “a landmark moment for the EU and a strong signal to the world”.

In September 2020, the Commission set out its plans for reaching the 55 per cent target, where it stated that “in the transport sector, as calculated in the Renewable Energy Directive, renewables would reach around 24 per cent [emission reduction] through further development and deployment of electric vehicles, advanced biofuels and other renewable and low carbon fuels”. Revised CO2 emission standards for cars and vans will “ensure enough clean cars are available on the market” and the transition “will require a corresponding roll-out of recharging and refuelling infrastructure by 2030”, with one million new charging points to be rolled out as part of the European Green Deal.

Under previous targets, it was estimated that the transport sector would require an additional €120 billion of investment, a figure which has now been revised to €130 billion in order to meet the 55 per cent target. It has also been mooted that an expanded EU Emissions Trading System could be developed to incorporate road transport, “potentially in time covering all uses of fossil fuel combustion”.

In the case of road transport, emissions trading has the advantage of “capturing fleet emissions under the cap and simultaneously incentivising behavioural change with lasting effects on mobility solutions through the price signal”, although CO2 emissions performance standards for cars are said to be “the main driver to ensure the supply of modern and innovative clean vehicles, including electric cars”. Thus, in order to guarantee a clear path towards zerocarbon mobility, the European Commission says that “the CO2 emissions standards for cars and vans will be revisited and strengthened”.