Western Rail Corridor: Government rules out greenway on Claremorris–Collooney line

The Government has again ruled out the development of a greenway on the disused rail line between Claremorris and Collooney, following renewed concerns locally about the future use of the corridor.

The issue was raised in the Seanad this week by Sligo Senator Nessa Cosgrove, who sought a clear and definitive commitment that the 73.5km stretch of railway would be protected for rail use only and not repurposed as a walking and cycling route.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Minister of State Jerry Buttimer said there are currently no active greenway schemes planned for any section of the Western Rail Corridor between Claremorris and Collooney, and confirmed that previous greenway proposals in the region have been suspended.

The clarification comes after confirmation in November that funding has been secured to reinstate the Western Rail Corridor between Athenry and Claremorris, with works expected to commence within the next 18 months. A further commitment was also given at that time that, once those works are completed, attention would turn to a potential phase three linking Claremorris with Collooney in north Mayo and Sligo.

Despite this, doubts persisted locally that a greenway could be introduced on the unused line in the interim.

Raising the matter in the Seanad, Senator Cosgrove said conflicting messages from Government figures had caused confusion and concern.

READ MORE: Mayo receives over €10 million in Active Travel and Greenway funding

She highlighted strong growth in rail usage nationally, noting that passenger numbers across the Irish Rail network rose from 17.8 million in 2020 to 50.7 million in 2024, with further growth expected in 2025. She argued that reconnecting Sligo to the Western Rail Corridor is essential to the long-term viability of the route and warned that installing a temporary greenway would be a waste of public money and could undermine future rail development.

“This rail corridor is a strategic national asset,” she said, adding that the land was valued at almost €1 billion in 2023. “It makes no sense to spend millions installing infrastructure that would later have to be removed to allow rail reinstatement.”

In response, Minister of State Buttimer outlined that last year’s Government’s rail project prioritisation strategy commits funding to reinstate the line between Athenry and Claremorris as part of the National Development Plan. However, he said modelling carried out as part of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review found that extending the line north from Claremorris to Sligo would currently generate low passenger demand and could have bad environmental impacts. For that reason, it is not included in the current list of major rail projects, although it may be reconsidered in future reviews.

Addressing the greenway issue directly, Mr Buttimer explained that the Claremorris to Bellaghy section has never been included in the national greenways programme, and that no funding application has been submitted by Mayo County Council for a greenway between Claremorris and Charlestown.

He added that a separate greenway proposal between Bellaghy and Sligo was suspended in late 2025 after technical reviews concluded that it was not feasible to safely accommodate both a railway and a greenway within the existing corridor, nor to develop a parallel route due to cost, environmental constraints and engineering challenges.

“Iarnród Éireann advised that it could no longer support a greenway on the existing alignment, and Sligo County Council subsequently suspended the scheme,” he said.

READ MORE: Work begins on Western Rail Corridor into Mayo

Senator Cosgrove welcomed the clarification and said it confirmed her understanding that there will be no greenway on the existing rail line.

“It is wonderful to hear that there is going to be nothing except rail infrastructure on this corridor,” she said, while urging local representatives to stop promoting the idea of a greenway on the route.

Mr Buttimer reiterated that there are no active greenway schemes planned for any section of the Claremorris–Collooney corridor and said any future consideration of extending the rail line northwards would be assessed as part of the next National Rail Review.

For now, the Government maintains that the priority is the reinstatement of the Western Rail Corridor between Athenry and Claremorris, with no greenway development planned on the Mayo–Sligo section of the line.