Nenagh Chamber lobbies for public transport hub at town's railway station

Nenagh and District Chamber of Commerce has publicly come out in support of a plan by Tipperary County Council to develop a new transport hub in the town’s railway station, and has now contacted Transport Minister Eamon Ryan urging him to reverse his department’s opposition to the plan.

As a result of the department’s opposition to the location of the hub, the council is now proposing to introduce a new bus stop in Pearse Street, a move the chamber’s says will add to traffic congestion in the town.

In correspondence sent to the Minister last week, Chamber President, Tom McGrath, stated his oganisation’s case for relocating the town’s bus stops to the proposed new public transport hub being opposed by the minister’s office.

Mr McGrath said the station was a spacious and well-proportioned area for such a hub.

He said the plan for the relocation of existing bus stops to the new  hub came about after consultation with the local community and business owners. They thought it was the best option as other suggested locations were considered to be disruptive to the flow of traffic.

“Unfortunately, after communication with your office it was deemed that the Train Station was located too far away from the town centre. We can assure you, as a majority of lifelong residents, it is not,” Mr McGrath informed the Minister in his correspondence.

NEW BUS STOP

With no alternative in the face of opposition from the department, the council is now proposing to press ahead with its alternative plan to move one of the existing bus stops from Banba Square to Pearse Street. But the chamber has expressed it concern to the Minister about such a move, which, it asserts, would impact on  “one of the busiest junctions in the town”.

The correspondence from the chamber to the minister states: “We are certain that this will cause numerous traffic delays, resulting in long traffic queues and ultimately increased fuel emissions along with general public distress, to name but a few negatives.”

SUPPORT FOR HUB

The chamber has informed the Minister that placing the bus stop in the station would ultimately be more beneficial and efficient in terms of pubic transport use. “These are but a few of the many good reasons that this is the optimal site for the proposed bus stop,” it says.

The chamber has urged the Minister to reconsider the decision to oppose the hub and has invited him to the town to debate the issue and discuss the logistics behind its stance in favour of such a development.

CONTACTED COUNCIL

Shortly after the transport hub was first mooted by the council in 2021, the chamber wrote to the  Administrator of Nenagh Municipal District, Rosemary Joyce, informing her that it was fully in favour of the plan.

It said the current arrangement was causing “massive traffic delays within the town”.

Supporting the plan for the hub, the chamber said that there is space for drivers to drop off and pick up in the railway station. It said it had consulted with bus drivers from CIE and other local providers who were also in favour of the plan.

The chamber said the development of a hub at the station would have a positive effect on the rail service as the facility would add new life and create greater use of the site.

“It is the most logical location for the bus traffic to pick up and drop off. And as we look to the future with electric charging of cars and buses, this location would be by far the best,” it asserted.