International Warehousing and Transport company (IWT) has announced it is increasing its freight services between Ballina, Co Mayo, and Dublin Port by 30% this month.
The company, which operates services in conjunction with Irish Rail, uses the Ballina terminal as a railhead for the West and North West with regular linked road deliveries to Tuam, Castlebar, Westport and Letterkenny.
This illustrates how rail is becoming increasingly attractive to freight operators, mainly because of the rising costs of road haulage.
Rail is less susceptible to cost fluctuations like the price of fuel. It also has the added bonus of being climate friendly.
I chair the Atlantic Economic Corridor Task Force, which is working hard to unlock the potential for transport connectivity along the Western Seaboard from Kerry to Donegal.
This strategy is crucial to economic expansion, inward investment and the creation of jobs. Our stakeholders are actively seeking the restoration of the Western Rail Corridor north of Athenry. This will enhance the potential to provide freight services along the Western region to serve the ports of Galway, Foynes, Cork and Waterford.
We have already seen an impressive increase in passenger numbers on the Western Rail Corridor. Coupled with the increase now reported in freight, the case for the route is even more compelling.
Irish Rail has stated it expects more than 400,000 people will use the commuter service between Limerick and Galway in 2019.
An independent review of the extension of the route to Claremorris is currently under way.