Reopen the Western Rail Corridor; help get the West back on track – Keogh

This week’s announcement of a record €22 billion for transport projects in the National Development Plan (NDP) must include the Western Rail Corridor, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Deputy Keira Keogh said: “The Programme for Government commits to acting on the recommendations of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, to improve connectivity across Ireland. A core recommendation of that review is the reinstatement of the Western Rail Corridor, including the restoration of the Athenry-Claremorris line which would enable direct services between Mayo and Galway. 

“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 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.

“I am also conscious of the huge potential to support industry in Mayo. Ballina also plays a regional key role as a freight hub that connects Mayo to Dublin Port. There would be enormous economic benefits to investing in further expanded rail connectivity, to Knock Airport and Shannon Airport. Better rail links would also reduce the number of freight trucks on the roads, lowering our emissions and supporting our climate commitments.

“While the updated National Development Plan 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.

“When that happens, I am hopeful that we will see funding ringfenced for the Western Rail Corridor and I have written to the Minister for Transport to stress the importance of this project. We need improved services between Mayo and Dublin but getting regional connectivity right means filling the existing gaps in rail infrastructure across the West of Ireland”, concluded Deputy Keogh.