Politicians clash over local train station

NEWS that the Northside’s

‘ghost’ train station may finally get an access road has sparked a bitter war of words between the Minister for Transport and a local councillor.

An end is in sight to the farcical situation in Dublin 15 where a train station was built in 2010 at a cost of e10 million with one major element missing – the access road.

The embarrassing problem was caused by a land issue which has since been resolved.

Building works on the access road got underway last week and the station is expected to be accessible and open to commuters on June 1.

The announcement once again fuelled a war of words over who was to blame for the long-running saga.

Local councillor David McGuinness (FF) said his party was proud to have delivered Hansfield Train Station during its time in Government.

“Nobody could foresee the situation that would arise whereby the station became inaccessible due to the cessation of building in the adjoining housing estate,

? he said.

“However, local residents would have preferred to see their minister [Leo Varadkar (FG)] meaningfully engaging with this issue rather than issuing ill-timed press releases and making undeliverable promises.

“In July 2011, he said that access works for the station were expected to start later that year, which led to considerable relief for the local community.

“When this date passsed local residents took to the street in protest at the Minister’s promises.

“In April 2012, he again sought headlines on the back of this issue when he issued a statement saying work was due to start on the road later that year. This face-saving announcement merely echoed the work that was continuing at Fingal County Council level and smacks of headline grabbing on a topic which he let the people of Hansfield down on

?.

However, these comments infuriated Minister Varadkar who argued that Hansfield Station was

“left standing in the middle of a field with no road to access it by a Fianna Fáil Minister

?.

“Resolving this particular mess I inherited from Fianna Fáil and the Greens has been a priority for me during my time as Minister for Transport,

? the he told Northside People.

“I have worked closely with Irish Rail, Fingal County Council and other parties on this matter to find a solution and I’m very pleased that the station is now set to open in June.

?

Minister Varadkar concluded:

“I stand on my record and the news that Hansfield Station will open in the summer speaks for itself.

?

Meanwhile, Deputy Patrick Nulty (Lab) welcomed an end to the protracted situation which he said was an

“indictment of our planning process

?.