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Most of the transport system in Ireland rests in public hands, both north and south of the border. The road network has evolved separately north and south, while the rail network was mostly created prior to the partition of Ireland.
In the Republic of Ireland, the Minister for Transport, acting through the Department of Transport, is responsible for the state's road network, rail network, public transport, airports and several other areas. Although some sections of road have been built using private or public-private funds, and are operated as toll roads, they are owned by the Irish Government. The rail network is also state owned and operated, while the Government currently still owns the airports in the State (though the authorities running them are due to be privatised).
In Northern Ireland, the road network and railways are in state ownership at present. The Department for Regional Development is responsible for these and other areas (such as water services), but as devolution is currently suspended in Northern Ireland, the department is operated by London (direct rule), not Belfast. The main airports in Northern Ireland are privately operated and owned.
Railways
- Total (1998) - 1,947 km
- 5'3" (1600mm) gauge
- 38 km electrified; 485 km double track
Main article: Rail transport in Ireland
Intercity railway services provided by Iarnród Éireann (IÉ) link Dublin (Connolly, Heuston & Pearse Street Stns.) to Cork (Kent Stn.), Waterford (Plunket Stn.), Kilkenny (MacDonagh Stn.), Galway (Ceannt Stn.), Tralee (Casement Stn.), Sligo (MacDiarmada Stn.), Limerick (Colbert Stn.) and Belfast. Rail in Northern Ireland is run by Northern Ireland Railways (NIR), connecting Belfast to Derry (Londonderry) and providing suburban services around the city. The cross-border Dublin-Belfast 'Enterprise' service is jointly run by IÉ and NIR.
Many lines in the west were decommissioned in the 1930's under Eamon de Valera. There is a campaign to bring these back into service, in particular the Limerick-Sligo line, to facilitate economic regeneration in the west, which has lagged behind the rest of the country. There is also a smaller campaign to re-establish the rail link between Sligo and Enniskillen/Derry.
Since 1984 an electrically operated train service runs between Bray and Howth, called the Dublin Area Rapid Transit. In 2004 a light rail system, Luas, was opened in Dublin. As of 2004 a metro system is also in the planning stage. The Luas system has caused much disruption in Dublin, in retrospect many believe an underground would have been a better option, one of the current options being discussed is to upgrade the LUAS to the metro system when the metro is being installed.
See also: History of rail transport in Ireland
External link - Platform 11 - Irelands National Rail Passenger Lobby (http://www.platform11.org)
Roads - Total - 117,318 km including 258 km of motorway
- North: 24,818 km including 133 km of motorway (2002) [1] (http://www.roadsni.gov.uk/about/presentation.htm)
- South: 92,500 km (1999 est.) including 125 km of motorway (2001) [2] (http://epp.eurostat.cec.eu.int/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/1-01102004-AP/EN/1-01102004-AP-EN.PDF)
- paved - 87,043 km, unpaved - 5,457 km
Ireland's roads link Dublin with all the major cities (Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford and Belfast). Driving is on the left.
Main Article: Roads in Ireland
Waterways - Total (2004) - 753 km
- (pleasure craft only)
Pipelines Natural gas 1,795 km (2003)
Ports and harbours Arklow, Belfast, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Dundalk, Dún Laoghaire, Foynes, Galway, Larne, Limerick, New Ross, Rosslare Europort, Waterford, Wicklow
Merchant marine - Total - 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totalling 288,401 GRT/383,628 DWT
- Ships by type - bulk 7, cargo 22, chemical tanker 1, container 3, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 1
- Foreign-owned - Germany 3, Italy 7, Norway 2
- Registered in other countries - 18 (2003 est.)
Airports - Total - 36
- Airports - with paved runways
- Total - 16
- Over 3,047 m - 1
- 2,438 to 3,047 m - 1
- 1,524 to 2,437 m - 4
- 914 to 1,523 m - 4
- Under 914 m - 6
- Airports - with unpaved runways
- Total - 20
- 914 to 1,523 m - 3
- Under 914 m - 17 (all 2003 est.)
Ireland's main airports are Dublin Airport, Shannon International Airport, Cork International Airport and Belfast International Airport.
Many regional airports exist, some flying to international destinations. For example Knock Airport in County Mayo, Galway Airport, Sligo Airport, Kerry Airport, City of Derry Airport, Belfast City Airport and Waterford Airport. Ireland's national airline, Aer Lingus provides air services from Dublin, Cork and Shannon to Britain, Europe and North America. These three airports are run by the State body, Dublin Airport Authority (formerly Aer Rianta). Two other Irish airlines are Ryanair and Aer Arann.
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