Archived press release

MLAs demand revenue for railways, not cash for concrete

17 January 2001

67% of MLAs feel spending on railways is inadequate

Friends of the Earth today published results of a survey of MLA views on transport [1], to coincide with the launch of a government consultation on Northern Ireland's ten-year transport strategy [2].

All ‘backbench' Assembly members were invited to take part in the survey, and of the 60 who responded,

• 67% wanted to see more investment in railways than is currently planned, and
• 52% felt that spending on the railways ought to take priority over the expansion of the M1 and Westlink.

At the end of the consultation period launched today, the Regional Transportation Strategy will be drawn up by the Department for Regional Development (DRD) and voted upon by the Assembly. Friends of the Earth's survey findings are an important indicator of MLA voting intentions.

Welcoming the opportunity to help shape Northern Ireland's transport strategy, Lisa Fagan, Transport Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said,

"This survey demonstrates strong support among Assembly members for railways. Two thirds of those who responded told us they wanted even more investment
made in the rail network than is currently planned."

She continued with a warning to DRD,

"A majority of MLAs feel that spending on the railways must take priority over the expansion of the M1 and Westlink.. A Regional Transport Strategy which favours this multi-million pound road scheme over investment in railways may well be defeated at Stormont."

Friends of the Earth insisted that the Regional Transport Strategy consultation should include a full review of the Department's road building plans.

"There is no justification for presuming that grandiose schemes such as the M1/Westlink expansion should go ahead. With finite resources, some tough choices will have to be made between the dreams of Roads Service and the clear public and political demand for hugely improved public transport."

Notes

[1] (back) All 95 ‘back-bench' Assembly members (that is, all except the 12 members
of the Executive and the Speaker) were invited to take part in a survey to
determine their views on various matters of transport policy. The telephone
survey was carried out by Friends of the Earth staff during October and
November 2000. Of the 95 MLAs who were invited to participate, 60
responded. The survey results are summarised below...

Question 1. Of the following four options, which one do you support?

Option 1: Closure of the entire rail network except the Enterprise service between
Belfast and Dublin, saving £14 million.

Option 2: Extensive redevelopment of the network, costing £175 million.

Option 3: ‘Consolidation' of the existing network with priority for the Belfast
commuter lines, costing £105 million.

Option 4: ‘Consolidation plus', the option favoured by Friends of the Earth and four
railway unions, costing £133.4 million. This option, the only one of the four not
proposed by the Railways Task Force, would allow all lines to remain open and
would avoid the two-tier system envisaged under option 3.

Option 1: 0%
Option 2: 10%
Option 3: 33%
Option 4: 57%

This means that 67% of MLAs (option 2 added to option 4) want to see even more investment in railways than the option 3
package which is planned.

Question 2. Should investment in railways take priority over the expansion of the M1/Westlink?

Yes: 52%
No: 32%
Don't know: 9%

[2] (back)The Department for Regional Development will tomorrow (Wednesday 17 January) launch the consultation on its ten year Regional Transportation Strategy.

Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland
7 Donegall Street Place
BELFAST
BT1 2FN
Tel: 028 9023 3488
Fax: 028 9024 7556
Email: foe-ni@foe.co.uk.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust