Irish Rail should “move promptly” to reopen disused railway lines around the country, Fianna Fáil has said.
During the 1950s and 60s, much of the country’s railway network was closed as increased car ownership left many routes unprofitable.
In recent years, the Government has moved to encourage greater use of public transport and promised to spend billions of euros expanding the railway network.
With that in mind, Fianna Fáil Rural Development spokesperson Éamon Ó Cuív said re-opening old lines was an “obvious” thing to do.
he told Newstalk Breakfast.
“The alignments are intact and recently, for example, they started clearing the railway line from Athenry up towards Claremorris.
“During my time as Minister - and Iarnród Éireann have continued to do this - we cleaned the line the whole way from Collooney down south to Claremorris.”
Deputy Ó Cuív suggested Irish Rail “move promptly” to reopen Athenry to Claremorris line, which he said would enable a much larger number of people to travel to Galway city by train.
“That connects then, for example, Westport, Castlebar, Claremorris, Tuam - which is the biggest town outside of Galway City - into Athenry and into Galway,” he said.
Cliff Walk Bray to Greystones.He said another “obvious one” would be Athlone to Mullingar, citing the popularity of the reopened line to Midleton in Cork as evidence it would be popular.
“They’re now doubling the track there because the demand is so great,” he said.
“It’s only a few years open.
“A bit like the Limerick line, it’s really taken off.
“The railway line to Youghal is owned, as far as I understand, by Iarnród Éireann.
“So, you could extend that just in a straight line, commuter rail.”
Last year, the All-Island Strategic Railway Review recommended Dublin and Belfast spend €36.8 billion over the next 30 years improving rail connections across Ireland.
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Main image: Old railway tracks beside Lough Finn in Donegal. Picture by: Alamy.com
