Transport Problems, vol.8, no.2, pp.35-46, 2013 (Scopus)
The paper delineates the core issues surrounding political, socio-economic,
and territorial implications on a number of transport issues on the island of Ireland by
looking at the record of transport in the early 20th century, concentrating on the
disintegration of the rail network, and its effect on local population, as this was the
foremost method of transport during this period. An amalgamation of interviews and
open-ended questionnaires directed towards politicians painted a vivid picture of the core
principals influencing their parties? policies in relation to transport on the island.
Participant observation of an overt nature was incorporated to investigate the views of
those who feel they have suffered as a result of the neglected border region, along with
the other areas of the northwest, and the policies of their political representatives. The
data also reinforced the notion that other arguments also portrayed that security reasons
in the latter half of the century in the north contributed to the problem. The paper looks at
the discourse of political stagnation to motivation over the last century and the political
manifestations that have created this tidal shift. A preliminary questionnaire survey was
conducted to explore a number of key issues such as (a) island?s troubled past and the
land transport infrastructure, (b) reasons why the railway and road networks in the
proximity of the border counties have become so stagnant, (c) perceived impacts of
devolution and the peace process on transport on the island, and (f) possibilities of
stronger cooperation and cohesion between the north and the south in relation to
transport.