Motion passed to scope out feasibility of reopening railway

A MOTION tabled before Derry City and Strabane District Council to explore the implementation of a feasibility study into rail expansion across the north west was unanimously passed last week.

The proposal, brought by SDLP councillor for Derg Steven Edwards, asked for council to engage with neighbouring local authorities and Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to fund the feasibility study with a view to reopening the Great Northern Railway line.

The motion was passed with no opposition, unanimously supported by all across the board. The next steps are to agree funding for the study and then appoint a consultant to investigate.

Cllr Edwards expressed his jubilation at the council support.

He said, “I am delighted that the motion received unanimous support. This is a very important issue if we are ever to address the major infrastructure neglect we’ve faced over the past number of decades. We need rail back and we need the A5 properly upgraded. As residents, ratepayers and tax payers, we shouldn’t be accepting anything less than what other parts of the North take for granted.

“It’s clear we have political will with all political parties and independents supporting it. We need to harness this into action and I believe passing the motion I brought is a major first step in that.

He continued, “Since the railways closed here, this is the first major step in attempting to get them back. A feasibility study will clearly lay out the path to achieve that. I hope that now DfI and other councils buy into this with Derry and Strabane taking the lead. I will continue to engage with officials on this very important issue.”

The motion proposed that council recognise the rail structure neglect in the north west since 1965; that council reaffirms its position to support investment of rail within city and district and that it recognises the need for a feasibility business case into reopening the line, with engagement from relevant bodies such as DfI and Translink.

Further backing came from Green Party TD, Eamon Ryan who said that that and enhanced rail network “would be beneficial for the whole island.”

He also warned that the bulk of such a project would have to be majority funded by the UK Government.