Irish Rail wants to keep Sligo line for rail use only

Chief Executive of Irish Rail, Jim Meade, told the Oireachtas Transport Committee that he supports keeping the Western Rail Corridor for rail traffic and 'not for anything else'. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos
Plans for a greenway on the Western Rail Corridor (WRC) in Sligo have been firmly shot down by the chief executive of Iarnród Éireann, Jim Meade, who told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport that Iarnród Éireann supports keeping the railway from Collooney to Claremorris for rail traffic and "not for anything else".
Mr Meade also indicated that the next phase of the rail corridor will require a lead-in period of two years for planning and preparation at an estimated cost of €7m to €12m and that it will then require a three-year construction period.
Speaking to the Committee on Transport on Wednesday last, Mr Meade said:
“We know it’s an ambition of our own Minister to reinstate it (the WRC) if he can. It’s called out in the Strategic Review. We have started doing some vegetation works on it recently to keep the line clean and open, some de-vegetation. But particularly for a freight corridor, the review is saying it’s very viable for a freight corridor and you would do it probably in stages from Athenry to Claremorris.
“Beyond Claremorris, we certainly would support the ambition to keep that for rail traffic, not for anything else, and in time if the decision is made to connect to Collooney, so be it.”
His comments were welcomed by Cllr Michael Connolly, Chair of the Western Inter-County Railway Committee.
"The 47 miles of existing railway from Claremorris to Collooney is an extremely valuable piece of state-owned public transport infrastructure, passing an international airport (Ireland West) and connecting many towns, which would cost many hundreds of millions to acquire today," Cllr Connolly told a meeting of the Western Inter-County Railway Committee in Sligo City Hall. "To build an equivalent line to the Mayo-Sligo section from scratch could potentially cost €15m/km or close to €1.5bn. It is therefore essential that the rail alignment is protected for future rail use.
"The likelihood that the Galway line is soon to reopen as far north as Claremorris offers an important opportunity for Sligo as it means that the Sligo-Galway line will then be more than 60% in operation. Mayo’s industries will then be able to use the WRC line for moving raw materials and finished products, saving time and money and reducing their carbon footprint. The same opportunity needs to be afforded to Sligo," he concluded.