Western Rail Corridor extension is now a “project in motion” according to Minister

The Minister of State at the Department of Transport with responsibility for rail, Seán Canney TD, has said that the next phase of the Western Rail Corridor (WRC) from Athenry to Claremorris is now a “project in motion” and that all necessary steps are being taken to progress it as quickly as possible.

Addressing a meeting of the Western Inter-County Railway Committee in Galway the Minister said: “This is a priority project and we are working as hard as we can to deliver it as soon as possible. The All-Island Strategic Rail Review has set out a roadmap for the development of rail across the whole island with 32 strategic recommendations including the redevelopment of the Athenry-Claremorris line. The redevelopment of the Limerick-Foynes line, a major development for the entire west of Ireland, is scheduled for completion in 2026 and has greatly enhanced the business case for the WRC.

“The Department of Transport is currently engaging with the European Investment Bank and the business case for Athenry-Claremorris is being put in place. And as the Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport last week that the business case is looking very positive.

“I’m pushing for this to be implemented as quickly as possible. We do not require planning permission because the line was protected for future rail use. Preliminary planning and studies have already begun so it is now a question of when and not if the project is delivered. We have a lot of money in the revised National Development Plan which will be published next month. So we are in a great place with implementation plans being prepared and no one is talking negatively about the WRC any more.

“I also welcome the recent redevelopment plan and investment of over €6m for the former railway station building in Tuam, an excellent example of innovative thinking and I look forward to further significant development there in the near future.The future continuation of the line northwards to Sligo is also a consideration and as the Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann told the Joint Oireachtas Committee last week that section of the corridor from Claremorris to Collooney is being protected for rail use only.”

“I want to thank all of the members of the Western Inter-County Railway Committee and West on Track for their tireless commitment to the development of the WRC and I am very much looking forward to the next four years and to delivering this project with your help and support,” he concluded.

READ MORE: ‘You couldn’t pick a worse time’ - Fastway fallout hits Mayo

Cllr Michael Connolly, chair of the Inter-County Railway Committee, welcomed the Minister’s confirmation that the Athenry-Claremorris rail link is going ahead: “We cannot underestimate the importance of this development for our region. It is a vindication of all the hard work that has been put into the campaign by our local representatives and voluntary community groups over many years. The redevelopment of the WRC as both a passenger and freight railway was recommended in the All-Island Strategic Rail Review published in 2023 and we understand that it will be a priority project in the forthcoming National Development Plan.

“I commend Minister Canney for his steadfast commitment to balanced regional development and assure him of our continued support in his endeavours. I am also thinking today of our many deceased colleagues who would have been so proud to see this development, particularly our friend and colleague An tAth. Micheál Mac Gréil and the late Dr. John Bradley who made such an important contribution to our campaign in recent years.”    

Colmán Ó Raghallaigh of West on Track said: “The confirmation by the Minister that the Athenry-Claremorris rail link is going ahead is enormously significant for the entire western region and for the rail network at large. This project is about so much more than the 55km of track between Claremorris and Athenry. In fact, this vital link will enable the creation of a 250km passenger network from every major town in Mayo through Tuam and on to Galway and Limerick. In terms of freight it will connect many of our critical manufacturing companies in the west directly to the deep water ports of Foynes and Waterford, a network of some 450km.

Welcoming the committee members to Galway, the Cathaoirleach of Galway County Council, Cllr David Collins, said that the Western Rail Corridor project was essential for development across the western counties. “By connecting communities and creating opportunities, young people will be encouraged to stay and work in their own region. The Western Rail Corridor is a symbol of what can be achieved when counties unite to work together,” he said.

Mike Devane of the Atlantic Economic Corridor Chambers Group told the meeting that a redeveloped rail corridor all the way to Sligo would unlock the hidden potential of our region. It would create critical points of connectivity with other infrastructure, would provide the infrastructure to enable the development of offshore and other resources and create a new north-south dynamic rather than the Dublin-centric model which has predominated for so long. This new connectivity would create a basis for people to create added value in our towns and communities.

Kevin Kelly, Chief Executive of Mayo County Council, said that the development of the Western Rail Corridor was a critically important project for the whole region and that it was also important that it would continue northwards to Sligo with a link to Ireland West Airport which was expected to carry almost a million passengers this year.

Mr Liam Boyce, Head Architect of Iarnród Éireann, gave a presentation on the redevelopment of Ceannt Station in Eyre Square where refurbishment works are proceeding at pace. When completed in quarter three of next year the greatly expanded capacity of the station will be able to facilitate additional services from Dublin and from north and south of Galway. 

The meeting concluded with an official visit, hosted by Iarnród Éireann, to Ceannt Station in Eyre Square.

READ MORE: Structural concerns force closure of Mayo pier’s outer section