Rail Corridor hopes boosted

Rail Corridor hopes boosted

Michael Commins

CAMPAIGNERS for the Western Rail Corridor have welcomed a statement made by An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, in which he confirmed his support for the roll-out of the railway project to Tuam and Claremorris.
Mr Ahern, speaking in Claremorris during his constituency visit on Thursday last, said the entire western region would benefit enormously from the next National Development Plan. “The level of infrastructure that will be put into the west and the Mayo-Galway region will be bigger than what will be spent in the entire Dublin region. I know people in the west will say it’s about time the balance took place. That’s what we are going to do.
“The Western Rail Corridor is in that plan. The corridor right up to Claremorris is in the plan and the quicker they do it, the better. In fairness to Irish Rail, they’ve really been finishing their contracts on schedule or ahead of it. I’ve opened two new stations in Dublin in the last few weeks. The same engineers and same design people are working on this project in the west and they have been doing a fine job.”
Phase One of the Western Rail Corridor scheme from Ennis to Athenry is due to be completed in 2008. A spokesman for West-on-Track said that the Taoiseach’s statement was a clear and unequivocal commitment that the work which has already commenced on the railway between Ennis and Athenry will be completed by next year and that the project will then be continued directly to Tuam and Claremorris.
“The Minister, Martin Cullen, told West-on-Track at a recent meeting that he did not favour a stop-start approach to the delivery of the project and said he believed that the connection to Claremorris would be viable. We are confident that the project is now very much on track for delivery,” said a spokesperson.