Fears Ballycar Flooding Will Lead To Closure Of Ennis-Limerick Rail Line

© Pat Flynn

Concern is again being expressed that recurring flooding at Ballycar will be used as an excuse to close the Ennis to Limerick rail line.

The line is again submerged under flood waters in what has become a perennial problem.

Irish Rail says it would take €10 million to address.

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Persistent rain over recent months has led to a gradual rise in the water levels at Ballycar, which finally resulted in the track becoming submerged this weekend.

Now, bus transfers are in place to get commuters between Ennis and Limerick – and not for the first time.

The two-mile stretch of track lies in an extremely flood-prone area, which has forced long-term closures of the track on numerous occasions.

Irish Rail’s Corporate Communications Manager Barry Kenny says it’s expected to drag on for several weeks at least – and that fixing it would prove expensive.

But the money excuse isn’t washing with everyone.

Newmarket-on-Fergus Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat McMahon says it’s a problem that has been going back decades and insists that if Iarnród Éireann were committed to services in the Mid West, it would’ve been looked at long ago.

He fears the line’s future will be under threat until Irish Rail move to resolve the issues at Ballycar altogether.