Western Rail Corridor will cost more than €154 million – Eamon Ryan

MINISTER for the Environment Eamon Ryan has suggested that the Western Rail Corridor will cost more than the previously estimated cost of €154 million.

Minister Ryan re-affirmed his support for reopening the Claremorris-Athenry railway but said it 'won’t be as cheap as some people have indicated’.

The Green Party leader was responding to questions from reporters during a visit  last Friday to the Mary Robinson Centre in Ballina.

A report by Dr John Bradley commissioned by lobby group West On Track estimated that it would cost approximately €154 million to reopen the line.

The reopening of the Western Rail Corridor was raised with Minister Ryan in the Dáil by Mayo TD Alan Dillon last week. 

“Well we’ve seen a lot of the projects we’ve done in recent years that they’ve proven much more expensive than people thought,” said Minister Ryan.

“You’ll find that out as we develop it, but we have to get an estimate of cost and then government will have to make a decision, but I’m going to make the case to government. I’m confident they’ll see the wisdom of what I’m putting forward.”

Minister Ryan insisted that the line should be reopened as part of an all-island strategy that would be guided by the publication of the All-Island Rail Review.

The publication of the review has been held up due to a lack of a sitting assembly in Northern Ireland.

However, Minister Ryan said the review would be published ‘straight away at the end of July’ regardless of whether Stormont was up and running.

He added that an environmental impact assessment would need to take place prior to any reopening of the Western Rail Corridor but did not indicate how long this would take.

“I don’t know if that’s the big time constraint. I see it as part of a whole where it’s connecting Rosslare to Waterford in a similar situation to Claremorris-Athenry. The reason I’m saying is that if you put those two pieces in, then you can run rail freight services from Rosslare right the way up to Ballina,” said Minister Ryan.

“I believe there’s a real strong economic case now, to be able to go to the businesses all along those lines and say, ‘Here’s how you get your goods out’.

“And I think I have to first of all convince my government colleague of that, I will have to raise the finance. It will be expensive to reinstate the line, it won’t be as cheap as some people have indicated.”

PROGRESS

MINISTER of State Dara Calleary told The Mayo News that the government should press ahead with the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor if there is no sitting executive in Stormont by the autumn.

“I think the all-island element is important, but we can’t allow it to delay progress either,” said Minister Calleary.

“I think the indications have been positive, and I’m certainly willing to give the overall question, in terms of restoring the institutions of Stormont, another few months. I think if, by the time the autumn finishes, we haven’t made any progress, I think we should progress the Western Rail Corridor.”

Elsewhere, Ireland West Airport Knock Chief Executive Joe Gilmore has said that the development of good road and rail connections on the north-south axis from Donegal to the regional capital of Galway will be critically important for the future growth of the airport.

In a wide-ranging presentation to the members of the Western Inter-County Railway Committee, he pointed to the importance of developing both the N17 and the currently disused Sligo-Galway railway in order to provide modern and efficient connectivity to the airport.

“Rail is the most sustainable form of transport and the extension of the Western Rail Corridor from Athenry to Claremorris and onwards to Sligo has an important part to play in the future development of the airport,” Mr Gilmore said.

“Rail is strongly supported in our plans and ideally we would like to see a rail spur from a redeveloped Western Rail Corridor to the airport. Alternatively, an electric shuttle from one of our local stations such as Kiltimagh or Charlestown would be desirable. 

“Our new service to Heathrow with Aer Lingus and the global connectivity it now provides for the region makes it imperative that there is an improved transport infrastructure, both road and rail, in place to support key routes such as this.”