Sligo councillors reaffirm their support for reopening of Western Rail Corridor

THE reopening of the Western Rail Corridor linking Sligo with Galway has been backed by members of Sligo County Council who unanimously supported a call from Cllr Declan Bree who said if reopened the rail line would help the west to compete on an equal footing with Dublin and the east of Ireland.

During a debate at Sligo County Council on the need for a railway line to be reopened concerns that including the rail line as a strategic objective might in some way “impede” progress on a proposed greenway were raised.

Those concerns were allayed by two councillors with the motion agreed unanimously.

Cllr Bree sought the inclusion of the reopening of the rail line as a strategic objective of the Sligo County Development Plan at a meeting to consider the new draft plan held on Monday.

Cllr Bree said the Western Rail Corridor is a key piece of infrastructure for the West and will link the economies of three major centres, Sligo, Galway and

Limerick.

Cllr Bree commended the most recent proposal to reactivate the section of the rail corridor from Athenry to Claremorris.

He said the members of Galway County Council and Mayo County Council should be congratulated for bringing about this breakthrough, but he criticised Sligo County Council who he claimed had been sending out “mixed messages and signals” on the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor.

While pleased to see the moves to reactivate the rail corridor from Athenry to Claremorris he said he was very disappointed to see the omission of any serious proposal for the final 47-mile section of the rail line linking Claremorris with Collooney: “This, I believe, is due to the fact that there are mixed messages emanating from county Sligo.

“The members of Mayo and Galway County Councils have been strong and united and have lobbied with one voice in support of the reopening of the rail corridor. And it is obvious that their voice is being heard by the decision makers.

“However, this Council [Sligo] has been sending out mixed messages and signals. Indeed, it would appear that some people do not support the re-opening of the Western Rail Corridor.

“In this context I believe we should make it abundantly clear in our County Development Plan that we are 100% supportive of the re-opening of the rail link from Sligo to Galway.

“While I am pleased with the references to the Western Rail Corridor included in the ‘Sligo Local Transport Plan’ I feel that we need to be more definite in the main document.”

He said for this reason he proposed an additional strategic objective would be included in the Sligo Development Plan.

His motion proposed that Sligo County Council would support the re-opening of the Western Rail Corridor in order to deliver the Sligo, Claremorris, Tuam, Athenry rail to an appropriate level of service and at a standard capable of facilitating passenger and freight transport and present an opportunity to provide an integrated rail linkage to the Ireland West Airport Knock.”

Cllr Dara Mulvey asked what implications such a strategic objective might have on works to provide “a possible greenway”.

“I would welcome a rail line, but I think the majority of people in south Sligo don’t want to have to wait another 50 years.

“The majority of people in south Sligo want something put in place rather than leaving a piece of infrastructure that has been left abandoned for the last 50 years.

“Would adopting this as a strategic objective impede that [the greenway proposal],” he asked.

He added: “If we leave this unused for the next 50 years, no one wins.”

The cathaoirleach, Cllr Gerard Mullaney, said the current Minister for the Environment Eamonn Ryan had done “nothing” over the last four years to forward the Western Track proposal.

Cllr Mulvey commented that he supported both proposals for the rail line and the greenway.

Cllr Bree said he agreed with Cllr Mulvey’s comment that they should not have to wait another 50 years. He added that it had been Sligo County Council policy for decades that they would seek the reopening of the railway line and he was keen that they would confirm their position in terms of the reopening of the rail corridor “but certainly we would not want to see it sitting for another ten years, never mind 50”.

Cllr Paul Taylor said he saw no issue with Cllr Bree’s motion being passed. “This will not impede on the efforts to have a greenway; it can be passed no issue.”

Cllr Martin Baker said he understood that a greenway could be established and if a rail line proposal “came along” it would go along too.

The motion was agreed unanimously.