Study says more buses better than reopening Killucan station

The hoped-for re-opening of Killucan railway station has not been recommended in a new study that set out to determine the best travel solutions for the public transport needs of residents in the Killucan, Kinnegad and Hill of Down areas.

The consultancy firm AECOM, appointed by Iarnród Éireann to undertake the analysis concluded in their prefeasibility study on public transport needs for the area, that there was a shortfall in public transport provision for the population living locally, but also concluded that the emerging preferred approach to address that shortfall would be an enhanced bus service in the form of an additional three trips daily between Mullingar and Kilcock using the existing 115C service.

The study area, which measured approximately 20km from west to east and 12km north to south, previously had a railway station at Hill of Down that closed in 1947 and Killucan station, which closed in 1963. The number of residents in the study area is 15,552.

It was open to the firm to examine whether any such need could be met by the reopening of a station such as Killucan, construction of a new station at a different location (Annascannon), or whether an enhanced bus service would meet the demand.

AECOM noted that the Westmeath County Development Plan included an objective to “actively seek the re-opening” of Killucan station.

The study found that there is, in fact, a shortfall in public transport provision in the study area, and demand analysis estimated that both Killucan or Annascannon train station options would be expected to have 156-169 boardings per day; the Hill of Down station would be expected to have 108-117 daily boardings. It also found that excluding educational trips, the enhanced 115C bus option would be expected to have 183-222 boardings per day. With education trips included, that would come to between 578 to 617 boardings per day.

However, the firm found providing an enhanced bus service would result in a total of five services on the 115C route daily per direction. That would provide greater connections for a larger number of residents of the study area while also enabling integrated feeder services at Kilcock for onward rail and bus services.

When considering the potential of opening a new railway station or re-opening one of the previously used stations, the study found that an additional scheduled passenger stop for Sligo rail services within the area would add to the journey time for existing passengers. In addition, that would come on top of a lower level of demand than the identified demand for the enhanced bus provision option.

On the question of costs, AECOM concluded that overall, there was little difference between the cost of the rail transport options, the main difference being between that of providing a single or a double platform station. The bus transport option had no capital costs associated with its implementation because it was anticipated that the increased frequency could be delivered utilising the existing bus on the 115C route. However in terms of running costs, the bus option would be more expensive.

The firm estimated the provision of a single platform station at Killucan at €8,766.015, and the cost of a double platform at €10,757,539. To provide a station at Hill of Down would cost €8,766,015, and the cost of a station at Annascannon would be €9,266,015.

Cllr Denis Leonard, who is a member of the Killucan Railway Action Group and who has argued vigorously for many years to have Killucan station reopened, has rejected the conclusions of the study team.

He revealed this week that he is not prepared to give up the battle, as he believes the report itself demonstrates there is still a strong case to have the station reopened.

“The study summary is coming down slightly on the side of enhanced bus services for the Killucan Kinnegad area but acknowledged the rail option demand with 156-169 boardings a day,” he stated.

He said that the study did not take account of the fact that there is a low awareness of train as an option as there is no train station open locally, meaning that, therefore, people tended to think firstly of the car or bus.

He also disputed the claim of the study team that reopening the station would add to journey times, as the train already has to stop at Killucan.

“Reopening the station would not impact timetables,” he said.

Cllr Leonard said the study had failed to acknowledge the amount of time a bus or car journey takes due to traffic, or the much better and safer on-time nature of trains and the ability of passengers to move around during travel.

“Another element missing from the study is the need to move freight by night for industries in our area,” he said.

Cllr Leonard said he also felt the costs, which AECOM suggested would amount to over €10 million were exaggerated based on previous studies.

“The next step is for the council to examine the report at September’s meeting and for the Transport SPC to try and get them to press forward with a business case for the station based on the amount of people who want a train option locally,” he said.