Re-opening of Western Rail Corridor is officially a ‘project in motion’
The long-awaited re-opening of the Western Rail Corridor has been described as "a project in motion", and all necessary steps are being taken to progress the project as quickly as possible.
The Department of Transport is engaging with the European Investment Bank, and a business case for the Athenry to Claremorris section is currently being put in place.
The update came from Minister of State for Transport Seán Canney, who confirmed that the National Development Plan, due to be published later this month, includes "a lot of revised funding."
Addressing a meeting of the Western Inter-County Railway Committee, Deputy Canney said, "We are in a great place with implementation plans being prepared, and no one is talking negatively about the Western Rail Corridor anymore."
His comments follow those of Irish Rail Chief Executive Mary Considine, who told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport last week that early-stage work had begun and that the Athenry to Claremorris route and design feasibility were being examined by a dedicated team.
Ms Considine added that Irish Rail hoped to get construction of the route underway before 2030.
"This is a priority project," Mr Canney said, "We are working as hard as we can to deliver it as soon as possible."
He reminded the committee that no planning permission is required, as the line is protected for future rail use, and said the continuation of the line northwards towards Sligo remains under active consideration.
His remarks echoed those made by Ms Considine, who confirmed that the Claremorris to Collooney section is also being kept for rail use only.
"Preliminary planning and studies have already begun, so it is now a question of when and not if the project is being delivered," he said and added that he looked forward to delivering the project.
The Chief Executive of Mayo County Council, Kevin Kelly, also addressed the committee, describing the Western Rail Corridor as a "critically important project for the whole region."
Mr Kelly emphasised the importance of extending the line northwards towards Sligo, with a connection to Ireland West Airport Knock forming part of the long-term vision.
The airport is expected to carry almost one million passengers this year, and local representatives in Mayo believe a rail link would transform accessibility and investment opportunities across the county.
At the latest meeting of Mayo County Council, Cllr Brendan Mulroy called for the Western Rail Corridor to be prioritised alongside the development of the Strategic Development Zone at Knock Airport.
He said the end goal should be to extend the Western Rail Corridor directly to Knock Airport, allowing commuters and tourists to travel straight to the terminal, he added this would help the entire county “take off.”
"The train service is vital, not just for Westport but for Ballina, Castlebar, and for bringing people into our county," Cllr Mulroy said at last month's meeting.
"I'd ask the executive of this council, if you were to deliver a project that is on par with Knock Airport; get that rail corridor into Mayo. It will serve us all, and it will be a different county. It will open up the county completely."
The reopening of the line between Athenry and Claremorris was first included in the 2007–2013 National Development Plan, but progress stalled after the 2008 financial crash, with only the Ennis to Athenry section completed.
Now, with a renewed government commitment and positive economic indicators, momentum is building again, and the prospect of reopening the Athenry to Claremorris rail link has never looked stronger.
Colmán Ó Raghallaigh from West on Track, a community-based campaign group, welcomed Deputy Canney's comments and said that confirmation of the reopening of the Athenry to Claremorris link was "enormously significant for the entire western region."
"This project is about so much more than the 55km of track between Claremorris and Athenry. This vital link will enable the creation of a 250km passenger network from every major town in Mayo through Tuam and on to Galway and Limerick," Mr Ó Raghallaigh said.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.