Reopening of the Western Rail Corridor must be part of the National Development Plan says Mayo TD
The National Development Plan (NDP) for 2025 was released last week, and it confirmed a record €22b in investment for transport projects over the next five years.
Balanced regional development is highlighted as a key priority for the Government in the plan. This will be ensured through a 50:50 distribution in future growth between the Eastern and Midland region and the combined Southern, Northern, and Western regions. The plan also aims for a 50:50 balance in funding between Ireland’s five major cities, Galway, Cork, Dublin, Limerick, and Waterford, and the rest of the country.
The NDP promises strategic transport investment. The development of the low-carbon MetroLink project will be funded through the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, allowing the Government to move ahead with a wide range of other major public transport projects in the future.
Mayo TD Keira Keogh insisted that one of these public transport projects must include the Western Rail Corridor.
“While the updated NDP contains record funding for transport projects across the country, the only specific project that has been mentioned at this stage is Dublin’s MetroLink. We won’t see a full breakdown of projects until the Budget is published in the autumn,
“What we have now isn’t sufficient. If a student from Castlebar wants to commute to the University of Galway, in Mayo’s nearest city, they would have to take a train to Athlone and then another train to their final destination. That story is a familiar one for so many people across Mayo who travel to and from Galway for work or for college.
The All Island Strategic Rail Review (AISRR), published last year, recommended the reopening of the railway between Claremorris and Athenry. This would enable a direct transport link between Mayo and Galway.
Deputy Keogh continued: “The Western Rail Corridor would be a game changer. When reopened as a functioning Irish Rail line, it would drastically improve transport connectivity throughout the West of Ireland, from Sligo all the way down to Limerick. It would be a lifeline for regional development, and it would restore a vital link between Mayo and Galway, offering new economic, tourism and commuter opportunities. It would also ease pressure on urban housing hotspots by allowing people ease of travel from rural areas into key towns and cities.”
She stated that the reopening would offer support to industry in Mayo, pointing out that investing in expanded rail connectivity to Knock and Shannon airports would deliver significant economic benefits, while also easing road congestion by reducing freight truck traffic. Deputy Keogh said enhanced rail links would, in turn, lower emissions and help Ireland meet its climate commitments.
The Fine Gael representative has written to the Minister for Transport to stress the importance of the project and said: “getting regional connectivity right means filling the existing gaps in rail infrastructure across the West of Ireland.”
This report has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.