Impressive, but how does the existing passenger usage (Belfast to Derry/Londonderry) compare with some of our lines, which wouldn't get the same amount of money.
I don't think that you can base investment
purely on existing passenger usage. It's certainly a factor, but only that. My understanding is that the line into (London)Derry got reduced to the thinnest possible rail link quite some time back but that service (and presumably) passenger numbers are on the up. Earlier this month, the whole section from Colraine into Derry was bustituted while the line was upgraded; all this work and expenditure based on planned leaps in passenger numbers which, if it's all joined up, will come.
The work we did in Melksham at the start of this decade, which has lead to the the dramatic rise in use of the line, was not purely based on existing passenger numbers. Industry models taking the old average of 1 person off and 1 person on to each train - 8 passengers a day, 4 trains , and scaling it, made even the funding of the trial service look to be an absurd waste. For sure, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and London and the South East all - each for their own reason - tend to get heavier investment but I think it's probably right to be upgrading the main line and stations from Belfast. Perhaps we should inspire our Sub National Transport bodies to follow the leads of these areas?
