I welcome the fact that the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport have made a positive submission to the All-Island Rail Review in favour of the re-
opening of the remainder of the Western Rail Corridor.
The Committee in their statement have stated that “the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor from Athenry via Tuam to Claremorris and onto Sligo has
the potential to be hugely economically significant to the Atlantic seaboard.
The Joint Oireachtas Committee believe that rail connectivity is essential to balanced regional development and compact growth which are the goals of
the National Development Plan.
“I am also delighted that the Committee have stated that a choice between a railway re-opening and a greenway going on the route should not be “Binary”
that “both options can and should be considered separately or in parallel including constructing new greenways alongside existing rail lines. This has been my long-held view also”.
“I have previously stated that we should not sacrifice one piece of infrastructure for another when we have the potential to deliver both”.
Tuam needs to be connected to the national rail network and Tuam also needs to be connected to the National Greenway Network from Dublin to Galway. It is within our capacities to deliver both and we should not settle for anything less”.