NI has lowest public transport spend of UK regions

Public spending per person on public transport in Northern Ireland is the lowest among the UK nations, official figures suggest.

That largely reflects the limited rail network in Northern Ireland.

The Treasury produces annual figures which show public spending on services in the nations and regions of the UK.

In 2022, public transport spending per head in Northern Ireland was £193, compared to £299 in Wales and around £465 in England and Scotland.

Translink, the corporation that manages all of Northern Ireland’s rail and bus services, is part-funded by Stormont.

There are ambitious plans to expand the rail network across the island of Ireland.

The All-Island Strategic Rail Review, which was published last month, proposes more inter-city services, reinstatement of lines and new stations.

That would involve a radical change in how Stormont allocates its infrastructure budget.

It would require investing more than £300m a year (at today’s prices) for 25 years, which is about £50m more than all current spending on public transport infrastructure.

Principal economist at Ulster University’s Economic Policy Centre Dr Eoin Magennis said that would be “do-able” but requires a firm political commitment.

He said the investment could help with some of the Executive’s other economic priorities including regional balance, decarbonisation and access to good jobs.

The all-island nature of the review will also involve substantial investment from the Irish government.

It is probably better placed to deliver that investment than at any time since the foundation of the Irish state.

A corporation tax bonanza means the government has the money to spend and there is political consensus on the need for investment.

However, there are concerns about the speed of delivery, including the capacity of an overburdened planning system.

Dublin’s first underground metro railway, which would include a link to the airport, has been talked about for at least 20 years.

It is now expected to start construction in 2026. An exhaustive consultation process is due to end next month, however legal challenges can’t be ruled out.

Aside from finally connecting the airport to a railway it will have a transformative effect on the city, says Sean Keyes from the Progress Ireland think tank.

“Metro’s have enormous carrying capacity. If we build it we will be able to move 50,000 people an hour in either direction,” he said.

“When you’re able to move that many people you can build a lot more houses and that’s the real prize for Dublin.”