All-island rail review recommends airport connections

Airport rail links and a proposed new station at Craigavon are among the recommendations of the final report from the All-Island Strategic Rail Review.

But restoring a railway line to Enniskillen has been ruled out.

The report was published in draft form in July 2023, with a consultation afterwards.

Among its recommendations were connections to international airports and the restoration of the line from Londonderry to Portadown with a view to increasing North West connectivity.

The final version now contains 32 recommendations.

Among them are:

• Connecting Dublin, Shannon and Belfast International airports to the rail network. Reinstating the Lisburn to Antrim line would enable Belfast International to be served by a rail link
• Restoring a line linking Portadown in County Armagh with Mullingar in County Westmeath. The line would pass through Armagh and Cavan
• Restoring a line between Londonderry and Portadown, linking the towns of Strabane, Omagh and Dungannon to the network
• Building a new direct line between Lisburn and Newry
• Developing a new rail link from Letterkenny in County Donegal to Derry

The plans also include commitments to continue investment in accessibility, refreshing the review every decade, and improved connectivity to the south east.

It is expected the recommendations would take up to 25 years to implement in full.

Northern Ireland will pay a quarter of the cost, estimated to be between €35bn (£29bn) and €37bn (£31bn) in 2023 terms.

The review focused on six goals:

• Contributing to decarbonisation;
• Improving connectivity between the island’s major cities;
• Enhancing rural and regional accessibility;
• Encouraging sustainable mobility;
• Fostering economic activity;
• Achieving economic and financial feasibility.

The draft report was published in the absence of a Stormont minister, whose sign-off was required for the finalised recommendations.

Steve Bradley, the chair of campaign group Into the West, said that the review was a "mixed bag".

"There's a lot in there which we're pleased to see," he said.

"But we are disappointed that the feedback we gave in last year's consultation, pretty much none of it seems to have been taken into account."

"We still have Fermanagh left as the only county in Britain or Ireland without rail, we still have Cookstown overlooked despite having a population which would warrant rail," Mr Bradley said.

Speaking about the disappointment of people in Fermanagh, Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd said this was “a chapter in the book, not the end of the story” and a transport review is currently being carried out to build on the infrastructure already there to improve access.

He said that climate change meant there was “ no choice” but to decarbonise transport.

The minister said he “does not accept” that Fermanagh had been forgotten.

“There is connectivity in other ways,” he said, with ”a plan in place to properly connect Fermanagh to the public transport network”.

Railway enthusiast Mark Robinson, from Fermanagh, says he’s “disappointed and disheartened” with the review’s conclusion that a railway line in the county is unviable.

Speaking from Headhunters Railway Museum in Enniskillen, he added that he was happy with some of the recommendations, saying people in Fermanagh “always feel forgotten”.

John Dowds, who has lived in Craigavon for 20 years, supports the idea of a new train station.

Speaking to BBC News NI he said: "I thought it was a bit daft having the station in Portadown itself and then trying to get a bus to Craigavon shopping centre.

"Why can't they just put a link to the shopping centre itself? A stop there would save all that bother of people trying to commute to it".

Meanwhile, Susie Burge believes the train station could bring more people to Craigavon.

"It would be great if we could have one in Craigavon, especially for the elderly. Our nearest is Lurgan at present.

"I think somewhere near the lakes or Rushmere shopping centre would be a good location for a station, as long as the lakes are not affected."

Helen Gilpin believes that a train station in Craigavon would ease congestion around the shopping centre.

"For those people who commute, they have to go to either Lurgan or Portadown and it adds to their journey if they have to get a taxi," she said.

Lynn McCrory, from Donaghmore, said her family would use public transport more often if there was a train available.

"I don't really use public transport at the moment, but I suppose if there was a train service available I would be more encouraged to use it," she said.

"A bus wouldn't really entice me at all... I would usually stick to the car; it's handier, but I suppose the train would be a bit more exciting even for the kids to go somewhere," she added.

Lynn also thinks this would be the "right route to restore".

"It could help reduce the traffic on the A5 as it is a bit of a dangerous road at times."

Kevin Morgan, from Dungannon, thinks the service "should have been back here years ago".

Kevin was originally from Coalisland and remembers the service, so thinks it "would be a lot handier for people".

"When they had the train in Coalisland it had to go straight through to Cookstown and the line and all is already there for them," he said.

"It's a miss that one isn't opening in Enniskillen. I think everywhere should be joined up.

"I would leave the car at home with the price of fuel now."

Thelma Kennedy, from Dungannon, thinks the railway would be a "good opportunity" for people from the town.

She said the service should never have been taken "away in the first place and then they wouldn't have to rebuild it again," she pointed out.

"I think the route that they have chosen in relation to Dungannon is something people will use," she said.

Thelma thinks if the service is available, people will use it.

"If you can get a train to these places, you will take the train and go in comfort.

"I hope it will encourage people to leave the car at home, less emissions."

The Republic's Transport Minister, Eamon Ryan, reiterated the Irish government's commitment to the review's findings.

"This is not just the first All-Island Strategic Rail Review; it is the most ambitious vision for rail in a century, bringing us forward to a new age of rail," Mr Ryan said.

"This vision has been made possible by close cooperation between the departments and agencies north and south," he said.

"Rail not only allows us to carry more people and freight in a more sustainable way, it is the great connector, enabling greater regional accessibility and balanced regional development," Mr Ryan added.

"The report provides a long-term vision and a series of recommendations for the sustainable development of the rail network on the island."