Light Rail vital for Galway City says Senator Ó Brolcháin

Light rail is vital for the future of Galway City given that the population is set to expand to 90,000 by 2017, according to local Senator, Niall O’Brolchain,
Senator O’Brolchain has made the statement in reaction to the MVA consultant’s report, which has said that the light rail proposal is not economically viable.

“We need to think about our future transport needs given that the city population is set to rise to 90,000 inhabitants within the next seven years. A light rail system is the best option for many different reasons. It is clean, reliable and works extremely well in other cities of a similar size. A dedicated track and priority measures will ensure that it will not have to compete with the same gridlock which is choking our city at present. We must plan now to cater for increased population growth with a sustainable and user-friendly transport model.
Light rail is the most viable solution to Galway’s transport problems and it would be the best investment for our city.

The consultant’s report has predicted that a light rail system for Galway will cost almost €700 million – similar to the final cost of the LUAS in Dublin at €770 million. However, there have been technological advances since 2004 and I am confident it could be brought to Galway at a more competitive price tag.

I am calling on politicians of all parties to get behind the light rail proposal for Galway,” he said.