Rail restoration calls welcomed

Sir — Carlo Gebler’s plea for all-Ireland rail restoration [Sunday Independent October 8) is warmly welcomed throughout rural Ireland, particularly in Ireland’s ‘neglected child’, Donegal. Our county has neither road, rail nor air connections with the rest of Ireland fit for purpose in the 21st century.

The proposed upgrading of the N2 will shortly rank alongside the draining of the Shannon among the canards of Irish political promise.

Gebler’s plea for at least the retention of existing trunk rail-bed has received official approval in meetings between rail restoration campaigners and senior officials in both Dublin and Belfast administrations.

Delegates from ‘In2TheWest’, ‘WestOnTrack’, ‘WestUlsterRail Initiative’ and the ‘AtlanticRailAlliance’, on meetings with Minister Shane Ross last February and at two meetings with the late Deputy First Minister McGuinness, were assured the retention of trunk rail-beds throughout Ireland would be prioritised. As pointed out by Carlo Gebler, the delegates had stressed that were this not done it would, inevitably, necessitate expensive repurchase at a future date.

It is encouraging to have the highly-respected Carlo Gebler independently reach the same conclusions. Hopefully he will, before long, be able to travel once again from Derry to Dublin by either rail or upgraded N2. Brendan Flanagan Secretary, WURI Inishowen, Co Donegal