Railways take less energy to build, per tonne-km of freight carried , or per passenger-km, less energy to maintain and less energy to run than road based transportation systems. While they cannot go everywhere, the spatial distribution of population in Ireland is such that 90 percent of the population is potentially within easy reach of an expanded rail network.
The percentage of goods moved by rail in Ireland is currently languishing at an all time low of just two percent. In a future built around integrated sustainable transport, most inland freight would be moved by rail or canal, with only the final stage of the journey carried out by road.
A wide range of different proposals have been made in relation to the re-opening of Ireland's rail network, varying from the Irish Government's current plans to reinstate less than 100km of track, to a fully integrated public transport network running from Derry to Cork, and incorporating many border towns once served by trains.
Brian Guckian, an independent transport researcher, has published many detailed proposals. Some of these can be seen here.
Integrated Road and Rail Corridors
More information will be added in the near future
