'Red-letter day' for west of Ireland as major plan takes huge strides
The inclusion of the Western Rail Corridor on the latest review of the National Development Plan’s Sectoral Investment Plan has paved the way for the long-awaited project to commence construction by 2028.
The Department of Transport have included the WRC, which will see the line extended and reopened north from Athenry through Tuam and on to Claremorris. The rail line is now prioritised as a project to commence construction in 2028 with enabling works to be carried out in advance.
These enabling works include the removal of vegetation, extensive clearance works and fencing of the route will begin early in the New Year and are expected to continue for a year and a half. Planning and design for the new railway will also be undertaken with procurement in 2027.
The main construction will be underway by 2028 and Minister Sean Canney confirmed the project will be complete by 2030. Once opened, the route from Athenry to Claremorris will connect all of the main towns in Mayo including Ballina, Westport, Castlebar and Claremorris via Tuam and Athenry to Galway city.
The West on Track group have lobbied for the reopening of the WRC for a number of years and a spokesperson said this was a red-letter day for the west of Ireland.
“This will enable commuters to travel in a cheaper and sustainable way to work, to hospital appointments and for leisure and tourism. It will allow students to live at home and commute to the universities in Galway and will create a dynamic tourism synergy between Galway and Mayo, particularly between Galway city and Westport, two of the major tourism destinations in the west,” they said.
“It will also provide north-south rail connectivity for passengers to Limerick, Cork and Waterford and allow for the movement of rail freight from Mayo industries direct to the southern ports of Foynes and Waterford.”
Minister Dara Calleary has hailed the inclusion of the WRC in the NDP as significant for the future of the west of Ireland and for county Mayo.
“The Western Rail Corridor and the opening of the line from Claremorris to Athenry ticks so many boxes. It will be a massive driver of economic development within the county, making Mayo and the entire western region much more accessible.”
“This is not just about the re-opening of a rail-line, it is the reopening of the arteries of the West. It is a powerful locomotive for balanced regional development and displays this government’s commitment to our rural future and to a greener, more accessible and economically viable West of Ireland.”
The new was also welcomed by Aontu Deputy Paul Lawless as a “breakthrough moment for balanced regional development and long-overdue recognition of the West’s potential.”
“For years, the Western Rail Corridor has been treated as a 'half-forgotten daydream' by successive Governments, a political carrot dangled before the people of the West. The confirmation of funding for the Claremorris-to-Athenry section, with works promised to begin within the next 18 months, is a long-overdue and essential first step.”
