IRISH NEWS
RPSI raises concerns that fire risk steam bans could cut its base off from the Irish rail network.
Proposals to expand an oil terminal near Whitehead could jeopardise the future of Irish main line steam, the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland has warned.
The controversial plan is to upgrade the existing coastal terminal to facilitate the importation and storage of additional fuels, including petroleum and kerosene.
Because the Translink NI Railways line from Whitehead to Belfast skirts the perimeter of the storage depot, the RPSI is concerned that sparks from steam-hauled trains may be deemed to pose a fire hazard – and fears that a ban might be imposed.
The depot at Cloghan Point is located just two miles from the RPSI’s Whitehead base and has been in operation since 1979 for the storage of less flammable heavy diesel oil.
The track is a lifeline for the RPSI as it connects Whitehead Railway Museum and workshop with the rest of the network.
Now the RPSI has added its voice to a protest being mounted in the locality by a group called ‘No to Cloghan Point’.
RPSI chairman John McKegney said: “We are very concerned about this. It’s vital that we have access from Whitehead to the rest of the Irish railway system. If we were blocked, it would be the end for us.”
Such a ban could also affect operations in Dublin, because the Society’s engines which are based there need to be able to return to Whitehead for overhauls and repairs.
RPSI General Manager Lisa Adair said: “The ramifications of this are enormous. If we can’t run our main line steam trains then we don’t have the income to support our museum as a static offering.”
At present, the planning application is under consideration by Mid & East Antrim Borough Council. Among the concerns expressed by the protest group are heavy tankers using roads in the locality, and the operation of supertankers in Belfast Lough to deliver the fuel.
Co. Tyrone-based company LCC Group is behind the application. A spokesperson for Cloghan Point Holdings Ltd said: “LCC is currently meeting with local political parties in order to create a better understanding of our aims and objectives in relation to this project. The political parties have articulated local concerns very clearly to our project team.
“There are a number of studies currently being conducted by the project team; these findings will be made public on completion which we expect to be in the second quarter of 2020.”