By 
THREE potential sites in Omagh town centre are now under consideration for a new railway station, should long-term plans to reconnect the town to the rail network move ahead later this century.
The update was provided by Alison McCullagh, chief executive of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, during a recent meeting focused on the town’s future development. She said the council has been engaging with Stormont departments, Translink and consultants as part of the Strategic Rail Review process led by the Department for Infrastructure.
“We as a council have met formally with Translink on the railway plans and also consultants in relation to site selections for a possible railway station,” Ms McCullagh said.
While the three shortlisted locations remain confidential for now, she confirmed that one option is currently viewed as preferable. That site, she noted, would offer strong connectivity to the proposed A5 upgrade, although it may not be as centrally located as some would wish.
Provision for a potential rail link is already being incorporated into the council’s local development and transport plans. However, Ms McCullagh acknowledged that identifying a suitable site presents challenges, particularly given existing pressures on available land within the town.
“There are existing demands on land and there will be some land freed up, so whether that would lend itself to rail infrastructure is something that we would look at,” she said, adding that the council has been encouraged by how its input has been received to date.
Omagh’s last railway station, on Great Northern Road, stood close to where the memorial to the 1950 Omagh rail disaster is now located. Built in the 1860s, the station was demolished more than three decades ago to make way for road development – a reminder of how the town’s transport landscape has shifted over time.
