Evidence shows Irish Rail support for Greenway potential

Dear Editor,

John Dunne (letters) needn’t get to concerned about whether the formal agreement is in place yet between Irish Rail and Sligo County Council to use the transport corridor from Collooney to the Sligo-Mayo border at Charlestown as a greenway yet.

Irish Rail are clear on these issues on the public record. Mr Dunne is probably aware that Cllr Casserly recently made public an email she received on February 9th from the office of Jim Meade CEO of Irish Rail which made the position clear for all, the email stated: This is what Irish Rail told Cllr Casserly

“We would like to apologise for any confusion that may have been caused. The Claremorris to Collooney line is not provided for under the draft AISRR (all island strategic rail review) for future rail services, the option remains for a greenway to be developed, in order to protect the alignment in the future” - response from CEO office of Irish Rail, February 9, 2024 to Cllr Marie Casserly SCC made public recently

The recent email from Irish Rail to Cllr Casserly reconfirms what Mr Jim Meade CEO of Irish rail said explaining Irish rail policy on greenways to Dara Calleary TD at an Oireachtas Transport committee meeting on February 17, 2021 when asked about greenways Mr Mead said:

“We always support greenways and there is a caveat on any greenway license we have out there that if there is a requirement there from the department…….the greenway is a win win I think for both because it keeps the asset in state ownership, it keeps the asset utilised and then if there is a decision at some time in the future that it has to go back into public transport mode, the licensing arrangement is such that it can do so.”

Further evidence that Irish Rail supports a greenway on this route is that both Irish Rail and the Department of Transport made formal submissions on the Mayo County Plan in 2021 supporting a greenway north of Claremorris to Collooney but for an inexplicable reason Mayo county council ignored Irish Rail and the Department of Transport submissions and excluded the greenway idea from the current County Plan that would have joined the Sligo Greenway and the Great Western Greenway through Mayo to create what could be one of the best tourist attractions on the island of Ireland; A seamless greenway from Enniskillen to Achill.

That is the big picture thinking I believe Cllr Casserly has. Thankfully the majority of Sligo County Council support this big thinking, but I guess the Mayor is of a different view and wants to stop what could be a tourist goldmine for the region.

Think about it!

Brendan Quinn

Western Rail Trail Greenway Campaign