Progress Ireland urges new rail line to ease M50 congestion

The Government has been told it has “no other option” but to build a new railway line into Dublin to relieve congestion on the M50.

Progress Ireland’s Seán Keyes warned on Newstalk Breakfast that the saturated zone around the Red Cow on the M50 is spreading year by year, with travel speeds falling from 80‑90 km/h to about 30 km/h.

Keyes said while another motorway around the capital might be justified, relying solely on road infrastructure would exacerbate housing and transport challenges, leading to a spread‑out city and longer commuting times.

He argued that electrified commuter rail could move five times the number of people the M50 handles daily and suggested a fully specced line would cost roughly the same as the Metrolink project, requiring “huge money” from taxpayers.

The Government forecasts Ireland’s population could rise to between six million and 7.6 million over the next four decades, underscoring the need for larger‑scale infrastructure solutions.

Source: Newstalk. Photo: wal_ 172619 / Pexels.