Demand for rail rescue package

Northern Ireland railways: Call for more funding

A watchdog group has called on the government to come to the rescue of Northern Ireland's ailing rail network with massive funding.

The General Consumer Council has said that money must be found for essential safety measures for railways.

In its transport manifesto launched on Thursday, the council also called for investment to provide a modern, affordable service for passengers.

Council chairman Joan Whiteside said decision-makers needed to give a higher priority to public transport.

"Our publicly-owned bus and rail system is failing passengers," she said.

"The services are scraping along on less than half the financial support that the government gives the privatised operators in Great Britain."

The council also called for the implementation of other transport initiatives including continued support for Belfast's two airports and the introduction of quality bus corridors in the city.

General Consumer Council report focuses on railway issues

The report also wants rural car users not to be penalised by fuel taxes and other charges.

It demanded a review of what it termed "out of date" bus licensing regulations, pointing out that the last update had been in 1967.

And it called for the establishment of a public transport unit within the Department for Regional Development.

The report follows hot on the heels of an appeal for views from the public on the future of Northern Ireland Railways by a task force set up to investigate the options for the service.

The task force is comprised of civil servants, NIR staff and members of the parent company, the Northern Ireland Transport Holding company.

It has also appointed a panel of experts to advise it.

In March, a controversial safety report, commissioned by the rail and bus operator Translink, claimed £183m should be spent on the rail network to make it safe.

The report said £72m needed to be spent replacing trains, £67m on relaying track and replacing six bridges, and redesigning and repairing trackside sea defences.

The findings led to the setting up of the task force to consider the system's future.

Meanwhile, the Transport Holding Company is in Westminster to give evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, which is also investigating NIR.

Both reports are due to be published by the autumn.

Earlier in May, figures obtained by the BBC showed NIR was under subsidised in comparison with other operators in the UK.

The statistics revealed that, in 1997, NIR was paid a subsidy of 5.2 pence per passenger mile from the government.

This compared to Scotrail's allowance of 22 pence per passenger mile, Cardiff Railway's subsidy of 35 pence and Merseyside Electric's of 41.5 pence.