PART FOUR The economic justification for the Link remains marginal

The project, one of the largest infrastructure projects in Europe, required considerable investment and even the most optimistic projections indicated that passenger revenues alone would not be sufficient to make the project commercially viable. The Government was prepared to contribute to the project provided the expected overall benefits could be expected to outweigh the Government's financial contribution. This part of the report looks at the Department's value for money assessment and the progress made so far in ensuring that the expected benefits will be realised in full.