Restoring railway 'could take 20 years'

Plans to restore the Londonderry to Portadown railway line as part of improving train travel across the island of Ireland, could take 20 years to complete, a report says.

The Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy was published this week by Stormont's Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and the Dublin government's Department of Transport.

The restoration of the line between Derry and Portadown, and onto Letterkenny in County Donegal, has previously been identified as key to improving cross-border rail connections.

The DfI said the 15-20 year timeframe for the restoration "recognises the significant preparatory work needed for a project of this scale".

That work includes "further feasibility study, approval, design, planning, tendering, procurement, significant land vesting, as well as construction," a DfI spokesperson said.

DfI Minister Liz Kimmins said the publication of the rail strategy "provides a way forward for connecting communities who have been without rail".

Currently, Northern Ireland's railways are mostly concentrated to the east of the River Bann.

Kimmins said the strategy was particularly significant for communities in the north west and in addressing regional imbalance.

But Steve Bradley, of the Into the West rail lobby group, is sceptical that will be the case.

He told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme that the strategy risked compounding the issue.

"There are 54 railway stations in Northern Ireland – 51 of those are east, only three are west of the Bann," he said.

"This plan would see over 60 railway stations in the east of Northern Ireland before a single new one gets opened anywhere in the west.

"No one could claim this is addressing regional imbalance because it is actually making it worse - our real concern is this could turn into the next A5."

The A5 road project between Londonderry and Aughnacloy and on to Dublin was first announced back in 2007, but has been beset by a number of delays and legal challenges.

Mr Bradley said: "When they say 20 years, realistically they probably mean it's 30 plus.

"That means yet another generation of people will be born in Tyrone and in Donegal with no access to rail."

The rail prioritisation strategy follows the publication in July 2024 of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, which made 32 recommendations on the future of rail travel on the island.

It was estimated last year that the all-island costs are between €35bn (£29bn) and €37bn (£31bn) in 2023 terms, with Northern Ireland committed to paying 25%.

The Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy sets out how best to see those recommendations through to completion.

It sets out seven early interventions – short-term infrastructure investments timetabled for the "coming years".

They include the reinstatement of the Mosney passing loop and increased use of a loop at Skerries on the Belfast line.

Also among the early interventions is a spur – a second short track – at Portadown to ensure the station is ready for the proposed reinstatement of the Derry line.

There are also improvement plans for the Sligo, Galway, Athlone and Mayo, Limerick and Waterford lines in the Republic of Ireland.

The prioritisation strategy also details a number of major projects, requiring significant intervention and short-listed from last year's rail review.

That includes a major upgrade to the existing Derry to Belfast line, which would mean faster services and new stops, including one at City of Derry Airport.

There are also plans for the reinstatement of the Portadown to Armagh and Lisburn to Antrim lines, electrification of the Belfast line, and improvements to lines in the Republic of Ireland.

The strategy further details timelines for the completion of each project, ranging from five to up to 20 years for the Portadown to Derry line.

Each of the completed projects, the report says, will cut travel time, decarbonise rail travel, improve regional connectivity and address existing bottlenecks.

The strategy also notes each of these projects "will need to undergo detailed feasibility studies as well as secure the necessary approvals and funding before proceeding to completion".