This article is from page 6 of the 2008-02-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
RAIL services between Ennis and Limerick are not expected to resume for another “three to four days” be- cause of continued severe flooding of a section of the line near Newmarket on Fergus. ;
Last week, Iarnrod Eireann halted services between Ennis and Limer- ick “at least until Sunday” (February 10) due to flooding of the tracks at Ballycar. ;
A spokesperson for Iarnréd Eire- ann passenger services in Limerick said yesterday, “It will be at least another three to four days before the line can reopen as part of the track was still under 11 inches of water on Sunday.”
The company has said it is monitor- ing the situation daily.
An estimated 600 commuters from Ennis and Limerick use nine daily services on the line.
Residents in the Ballycar area are also suffering with the roadway out- side their homes submerged under more than a foot of water in at least three locations. The road remains impassable for cars with some locals now parking some distance from their homes and crossing neighbours’ properties to get to their own homes. Locals say flooding on this scale may not have occurred since 1955.
‘The water appears to be rising all the time. It is still coming off the land and crossing the road into the lake which I haven’t seen this high in many years. I can’t see the water dropping enough for trains to pass for a week or two yet,’ one local resi- dent said yesterday.
Local councillor Pat McMahon has accused Iarnro6d Eireann of short-sightedness in allowing past problems of flooding at Ballycar, of which they were aware, to affect services again.
“This area is prone to flooding at the best of times and I know larnrod Eireann has raised the line in this area in the past. I remember attend- ing meetings on this issue one of which was attended by the minister of the day but that was over 15 years ago,’ Councillor McMahon said.
“In a few years we will have an intercity connection between Lim- erick and Galway and we have to be sure that people won’t have to be ‘bussed’ from station to station be- cause of flooding on the rail lines.
“When Jarnrod Eireann upgraded the Ennis to Limerick line, they un- dertook to carry out a review of the flooding issues at Ballycar. As far as I know this has not happened and I would call on the company to do so as a matter of urgency,” Councillor McMahon said.