The ‘Into The West’ rail campaign group says the exclusion of Donegal from last week’s announcement of €230m of Shared Island Funding for rail represents a huge missed opportunity for the county.
Chairperson Steve Bradley says initially, the campaign sought funding for a comprehensive feasibility study into the restoration of a Derry-Letterkenny rail line, but instead, what was announced was a significant amount of money which, in part, replaces money already committed by Stormont for the maintenance of the region’s existing rail network.
Mr Bradley says the lack of reference to Donegal in the announcement is disappointing………..
ITW Release –
Shared Island Announcement “A Missed Opportunity for Donegal”
Local rail campaigners Into The West have welcomed last week’s announcement of Shared Island
Funding for rail in Northern Ireland – but have also expressed concern that it represents “a missed
opportunity for Donegal”.
The Shared Island Unit was established in 2021 by An Taoiseach’s office, with a remit to enhance
cooperation, connection and mutual understanding across the island. Since then its ‘Shared Island
Fund’ has allocated €1.5 billion towards projects intended to create a more connected, sustainable
and prosperous island. Its latest – and supposedly final – funding round was announced last
Tuesday, and includes a total of €230m for various rail projects. €93m of that is to be spent
extending DART services north from Dublin to Drogheda ; €34.5m is to continue the hourly Belfast
to Dublin rail service ; and almost €100m is for track renewal projects in Northern Ireland – €86m of
which is being spent on a 14 mile section of the Derry to Belfast railway line.
This last allocation has
raised eyebrows amongst rail campaigners Into The West – as it’s for work which Stormont is
already committed to and which is already contracted to begin in January 2027, just 6 months from
now. They have highlighted that this fiunding allocation sees Dublin pick up the bill for maintenance
work which NI Railways is already about to start, and raises questions about what will happen the
money it saves Stormont. And they have also expressed disappointment that Donegal has been
forgotten yet again in this latest Shared Island rail announcement.
