The All-Island Strategic Rail Review Report has brought the restoration of rail in Donegal one step closer.
The ground-breaking report, published today, recommends the extension of rural connection into Tyrone, Derry and Donegal by 2050.
New lines assessed included routes linking Derry to Sligo via Letterkenny, Sligo to Galway via Claremorris, and Sligo to Enniskillen and onwards to Portadown and Belfast via either Clones or Omagh.
The review recommended a new single-track line between Derry and Letterkenny due to demand and, following several appraisals, parked the Letterkenny-Sligo link.
Donegal’s rail network closed on the last day of 1959.
The report estimates the capital cost of implementing all the recommendations by 2050 would be between €35 to €37 billion in 2023 prices.
Major infrastructure upgrades have been recommended across the network; This includes upgrading existing tracks, introducing high-speed trains, increasing train frequency, and electrifying the rail system. The plan also involves building new rail lines and reopening old ones, which will bring rail services closer to more people. Ultimately, the goal is to triple the number of rail passengers by 2050.
A key theme from the second public consultation was that North West is more deprived than other regions, and, as such, it should receive ‘positive discrimination’ with a lower economic viability threshold for schemes than in other regions. Several respondents felt that delivering comprehensive rail services in the region was critical to enable the region to economically catch up with other parts of the island.
Minister for Transport, Ireland, Eamon Ryan, stated: “This is an important day for the island of Ireland. This is not just the first All-Island Strategic Rail Review, it is the most ambitious vision for rail in a century, bringing us forward to a new age of rail. This vision has been made possible by close cooperation between the Departments and agencies north and south.
“Rail not only allows us to carry more people and freight in a more sustainable way, it is the great connector, enabling greater regional accessibility and balanced regional development. The Report provides a long-term vision and a series of recommendations for the sustainable development of the rail network on the island. I would like to see the recommendations actioned as soon as possible, and I am pleased that work is now well underway, with European Investment Bank assistance, on how we can move forward.”
