Sir, – Your correspondent David Traynor said that the money from Apple should be used to build a high-speed rail connection from Belfast via Dublin to Cork – an admirable idea but I fear he will be well out in the cost (March 17th).
He thinks the €14 billion will complete the work, but that’s where I feel the scheme proposed falls down.
Here in the UK the original HS2 was priced at £37.5 billion from London to both Manchester and Leeds. It is now reckoned that to Birmingham alone it will cost between £49 billion and £67 billion for a distance of 225km – half the length of his proposed scheme.
This does not take into account rolling stock as Ireland has its own unique gauge incompatible with anywhere else.
RM Block
He should return to the drawing board – particularly about the cost – and also take in the environmental assessments and their added costs.
I think that maybe enhancing existing routes with more tracks to increase frequency, with a dedicated airport connection, may be a better alternative for his budget to reach his aim of moving traffic from the roads. – Yours, etc,
JOHN BERGIN
Oxton, Wirral,
England.
