Peter Weir: Concern over railways

"Clearly there has been a long scale under-investment in the railways in Northern Ireland," he said.

"Public transport in general, and railways in particular, has to be give a much higher priority.

"Otherwise we're going to be left standing on the platform as the train pulls away from the rest of the British Isles."

The government task force has hosted a series of public meetings over the future of the railways, to gauge opinion about the service before it prepares a report later this year.

The assembly is likely to decide in the autumn what sort of railway network it can afford.

Recently, the taskforce put forward four possible alternatives to the current system.

These ranged from providing all the money needed for safety, and some additional funding, to closing everything except the Belfast to Dublin railway line.

Earlier this year, the assembly backed a motion expressing concern at the "poor state" of the public transport system and seeking a comprehensive and integrated policy to be implemented.

Threat to system

Translink, the company which runs Northern Ireland's railways, also launched a campaign to save the system.

In June, staff handed out leaflets urging commuters to attend public meetings which were being held to discuss what they saw as a threat to the railways.

It is thought that up to 700 workers could lose their jobs if the railway closes due to a lack of investment.