Press release From: The Western Rail Trail campaign: Greenway petition to be considered by Dail members
15th October 2023 for immediate release: 480 words main body text.
Greenway petition to be considered by Dail membersPetition for Greenway on closed railway from Athenry in Galway to Collooney in Sligo will be discussed by Oireachtas Committee on Thursday October 19th
Campaign welcomes recognition that 26,000 voters will finally be listened to by Dail members
Outcome of Committee debate will be communicated to 26,000 voters.
The Western Rail Trail campaign; The campaign to utilise the route of the closed railway from Athenry to Sligo as a greenway until such time as a railway might be possible will present a petition with over 26,000 signatures to the Oireachtas Petitions Committee this week on October 19th.
Brendan Quinn spokesperson for the campaign said: We submitted the greenway petition signed by over 26,000 voters in July of this year. We have have been notified the petition will be discussed by the Joint Committee on Petitions on Thursday October 19th.
26,000 voters will be kept up to date on how the petition was received by the committee.
Of the 26,000 voters who have signed the petition the majority live in the West of Ireland said Quinn. 26,000 voters is a lot of voters; We will issue a statement to all of those who have signed the petition explaining the outcome and advising the 26,000 voters who are nearly all based in the west of Ireland the reception our ideas received from the committee members.
It is a very opportune time for the Dail to consider this petition added Quinn. The government has now published intentions to potentially re-open the closed railway from Athenry to Claremorris in the strategic railway review. This is welcome news but there is no timeframe on when this might happen in the rail review, in fact the railway is unlikely to be re-opened for many years to come. The old rusting tracks are meaningless they will have to be ripped up and replaced and a lot of engineering work done on the line to restore the closed railway, so why not have a greenway now.
We have long argued that until such time as the railway happens let’s use this route, to protect the alignment, which is in full public ownership as a greenway and when and if the railway is re-opened a parallel greenway could be built alongside it. The views of 26,000 voters as expressed in this petition are now with the Oireachtas.
Clarity about closed railway north of Claremorris in county Mayo
The Strategic Rail review has done one good thing said Quinn. It is now clear from the rail review that the closed railway north of Claremorris through Mayo and Sligo as far as Collooney is no longer planned to be a railway again at any time in the future.
Now is the time to fully protect this route in public ownership with the East Mayo Greenway from Claremorris to Charlestown in county Mayo and the Sligo Greenway from Charlestown to Collooney in County Sligo. There are no excuses left not to utilise this part of the route as Greenway now the strategic rail review has made it clear there are no plans to re-open this part of the railway.
The 26,000 voters who signed this petition are fed up hearing about railways that might or might not happen in the future and are waiting for this asset to be utilised properly now.
ENDS: body text 374 words Contacts: Brendan Quinn 087 4198193
email bquinn1960@gmail.com
The petition can be viewed here: https://chng.it/petitionforgreenwayonrailcorridorhits 26000
The petition is due to be considered on Thursday 19 October 2023 due to commence at 1:30pm in CR4 LH2000.
Committee Room 4.