Ireland strikes me as somewhere that, like Wales, has a fairly bitty rail network with significant gaps, and would work better if a network of coaches/buses was designed in conjunction with it with a unified timetable and ticketing system, avoiding duplication and competition, and pitting the whole of public transport against the car.
Especially as there is already a national network of coaches/buses run by a different arm of the same state agency! I don't think there is much if any timetable or fare integration at present.
Seriously though, Ireland has a population density of 68 per km2. This compares with 413 in England, 149 in Wales, and 68 in Scotland. Some continental comparators are 118 in France and 92 in Spain. Rail is a mode of transport most suited to moving large numbers so is always going to start at a disadvantage in a less densely populated area. This is exacerbated by the population density being much higher in Dublin and surrounding counties, encouraging regional services in this part of Ireland but making it inherently difficult to justify longer-distance rail links.
Having said that, Scotland north of the central belt does seem to have a much better train service than Ireland away from the Dublin area.
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Ireland strikes me as somewhere that, like Wales, has a fairly bitty rail network with significant gaps, and would work better if a network of coaches/buses was designed in conjunction with it with a unified timetable and ticketing system, avoiding duplication and competition, and pitting the whole of public transport against the car.
Especially as there is already a national network of coaches/buses run by a different arm of the same state agency! I don't think there is much if any timetable or fare integration at present.
Seriously though, Ireland has a population density of 68 per km2. This compares with 413 in England, 149 in Wales, and 68 in Scotland. Some continental comparators are 118 in France and 92 in Spain. Rail is a mode of transport most suited to moving large numbers so is always going to start at a disadvantage in a less densely populated area. This is exacerbated by the population density being much higher in Dublin and surrounding counties, encouraging regional services in this part of Ireland but making it inherently difficult to justify longer-distance rail links.