Stranorlar student wants rural public transport to be ‘viable’ option
Architecture student Hannah Rose Burke from Stranorlar named on Córas Iompair Éireann Youth Board
A Stranorlar architecture student has been appointed to a Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) Youth Board and said how she wants to make public transport “a viable and attractive option in rural areas, particularly for young people and others who do not have the option to drive.”
Hannah Rose Burke, 20, and a student in Belfast, was named amongst 12 young people nationwide, and met her fellow board members at a visit to Irish Rail’s mechanical and engineering hub at Inchicore Works, experiencing a 180-year history of Ireland’s railways and the opportunity to see the new battery-electric train.
The new Youth Board will continue to act as an advisory board, providing insights, feedback and suggestions to feed into CIÉ’s board. They will contribute thoughts and ideas on the key challenges and opportunities faced by CIÉ Group, and share a youth perspective on operational issues to reimagine how the public at large engages with public transport.
Hannah said: “I’m delighted to be joining CIÉ’s Youth Board. Public transport is an extremely valuable service; however, I see how many people in Donegal still rely mainly on cars to get around.
“I want to change this by making public transport a viable and attractive option in rural areas, particularly for young people and others who do not have the option to drive. I also regularly take the bus to get from Donegal to Belfast for university.
“From this time spent commuting to the north, I’ve developed an interest in ensuring there are easy to avail of links between transport services in the north and south of Ireland.”
The Group CEO of CIÉ, Stephen Kent, said: "Public transport in Ireland is growing at an unprecedented pace, with new trains, more services and more passengers every year.
“As we grow, we need to make sure we’re building something young people actually want to use.
“Our Youth Board gives us a direct line to that perspective, and I’m looking forward to seeing our teams across the Group put this new board’s ideas to work."