DEVELOPMENT OF AN INVESTMENT STRATEGY FOR PROMOTION OF HIGH SPEED RAIL IN IRELAND: AN EXERCISE IN JOINT PLANNING BY TWO NATIONAL RAILWAYS.

In common with all European countries, the retention of a railway system in Ireland reflects acceptance, whether implicit or explicit, that the economic and social benefits which its availability generates outweighs the 'price' paid by government in terms of subventions. However, there is increasing pressure to reduce the call on the public purse in most states in Europe and in a real sense for railways to demonstrate greater value for money. In order to improve their competitiveness and demonstrate greater value for money with respect to the Belfast-Dublin route, both railway administration in Ireland came together in 1988/89 to draw up a development strategy for the improvement of their joint passenger and freight operations in line with the new initiative of the railways of the European Community for the development of a European high speed network. The year 1996 will represent the culmination af a planning process which was initiated in early 1988 but which has its origin much earlier. This paper seeks to outline the planning of the project placing it in its wider economic, political and transport policy contexts.