In March of last year, the €106 million route from Ennis to Athenry - connecting Galway to Limerick by rail - was opened after years of lobbying in the west.

Despite initial demand for it however, figures provided by the Department of Transport in response to a Freedom of Information request show passenger numbers between May and September last year averaged 4,800 per month.

An Irish Rail official commented: "This translates into an annual figure of between 62,400 and 67,158, which is well below the 100,000 trips assumed in the business case."

The Irish Rail business case anticipated the service would require an ongoing annual subsidy of €2.4 million to operate.

Separate figures provided by Irish Rail show passenger numbers between October and the end of December dropped to a monthly average of 4,330. The schedule timetables five journeys each way daily and the monthly average of 4,330 between October and November translates to an average 15.5 passengers per train journey.

The business case of February 2006 conceded the opening of the route "cannot be justified by the standard socio-economic analysis required by the Dept of Finance appraisal guidelines, the merits of the project must be looked at in the context of significant wider national and sub-regional planning benefits and social inclusion."

A spokesman for Irish Rail said the difference between the passenger numbers projected in the business case and those travelling can be accounted for by a number of factors.

He said: "We are operating five services each way daily - the business case is based on seven services each way daily; the dramatically changed economic environment since the publication of the business case and Oranmore Station has not yet opened and development elsewhere has, as with most development, come to a halt."

He added that the numbers travelling were in line with what was envisaged.

(JG/GK)