[article] Green light for rail line re-opening

[Navan Junction]

[article] Green light for rail line re-opening
Dave O’Connell editor, Westmeath Examiner, Saturday January 20th 2007

The Government has effectively cleared the way for work to start on the restoration of the Mullingar to Athlone rail line.

Next week’s National Development Plan will include the announcement of a Gateways Innovation Fund, with a €300 million budget for a transport initiative to encourage a ‘shift from private car towards public transport’.

This is designed to stimulate ‘joined-up thinking’ at local level to give added value to the Gateway development under the National Spatial Strategy.

And while there is no specific mention of the rail line in print, given that the only linked Gateway Towns are Athlone, Mullingar and Tullamore, the scheme appears tailor-made for its restoration.

Full details of the project will be announced in next week’s NDP, but it is understood that it will be initially funded for a two year period to 2010.

And the €300m provided by the state to cover the operations of the fund is also designed to leverage matching funds from public and/or private sectors - possibly including CIE.

The proposal is not part of the existing Transport 21 which addresses the Western Rail corridor, but is designed to accelerate gateway development in a co-ordinated way.

While she would not be drawn on specific details, local Senator Mary O’Rourke welcomed what she believed was the next step towards the rail line’s restoration.

“I feel very positive that the NDP will contain the mechanism and finance to see the re-opening of the Athlone to Mullingar rail line,” she said.

“It would be the culmination of the Midlands Railway Action Group’s work over a long period and my own strong involvement along with that of other politicians,” she added.

The rail development is one of four objectives under the Gateways Innovation Fund, but it is by far the most costly one.

The scheme could also see money for key local economic infrastructure, not funded from mainstream or local capital programmes; integrated physical and socio/economic regenerations projects, and quality of life investment in terms of recreational amenities.


The plan requires a lead local authority - in this case Westmeath County Council - to bid for the central funding.

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