A disability advocate from Ballyjamesduff has voiced his support for a newly published Government report which has recommended a new rail line for counties Cavan and Monaghan. The recommendation was included in the All Island Strategic Railway Review which was published this week. Although welcoming the proposed strategy, David Cahill believes that more could be done to encourage rail transport and the benefits it could bring to people living with disabilities. Speaking to Northern Sound, David believes that travel by train seems to be a more "accessible method" of transport for people with disabilities although vast improvements have been made to transport by Bus in recent years especially with the expansion of services offered. He added that travel by rail would enable the service provider to adopt quicker and in a more cost effective manner to the needs of passengers with disabilities.
Speaking to Northern Sound, David said; "When a service reaches the level that you have many passengers in wheelchairs using a service on a regular basis the train service can respond to that need using innovative solutions to increase the capacity of spaces for wheelchair users. The goal must be for a specific mixed seating carriage whereby people in wheelchairs and their travel companions be they carers, family or friends can travel together with no advance notice required in the mixed seating carriage. The new train stations in Cavan and other locations announced in the review allow for the installing of accessible options during the design phase prior to the building phase. It will be yet another missed opportunity if this is not a proactive participatory consultation involving people with disabilities themselves and their advocates. It is hoped that through this expansion the need for advance notice of travel (currently required for people with wheelchairs) can be removed for all routes. It is also hoped that the presence of a suitably trained individual on behalf of the service provider can be provided to each train station to assist as required with the boarding and alighting process for all passengers."
He continued; "Many announcements have been made in the past few years about rural transport. The Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan which has brought and will bring Rural Transport options to communities in every County in Ireland over its lifetime is making a massive difference to communities. This most recent announcement must result in action being taken to implement per the schedule in the All Island Strategic Rail Review. I am disappointed that the North Midlands Railway appears to be a longer term intervention which will take quite a few years to fully implement however David concluded by saying he would encourage a faster implementation if funds can be sourced from the EU or other international sources to speed up the delivery of the many outstanding projects."
