A chara, – Great to see a headline containing the words “Donegal, Cavan” and “new rail services” over Martin Wall’s article (“New rail report proposes trains return to Donegal, Cavan for the first time in decades”, News, July 18th). You could say that some of us have been “railing” about this for a while.
Reading on, I see the proposal involves a “30-year period”.
It will be interesting to see if I can hold my breath until I’m 96. – Is mise,
PETER DECLAN O’HALLORAN,
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Belturbet,
Co Cavan.
Sir, – Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has laid out plans for a new railway network linking Donegal and all other parts of Ireland from which the railways had been removed years ago, but maybe he could start by completing the rail connection from Dunboyne to Navan. – Yours, etc,
DAVID MURNANE,
Dunshaughlin,
Co Meath.
Sir, – As a retired railway professional, and Donegal resident, nothing would please me more than to see new investment of the kind Eamon Ryan outlined.
However, I’m also a realist and decades after they were first mooted, no rail line to Dublin Airport has been built, and Dart+ hasn’t commenced. Ireland just doesn’t “do” big public transport infrastructure projects.
Mr Ryan also acknowledges that the development of his rail line from Omagh to Strabane, “would be largely for the NI administration”.
This is the same administration that hasn’t sat in Stormont for two years and which has been constantly obstructed by local landowners from widening the dangerous A5 road which runs parallel to the proposed rail line along the valley of the river Strule.
Why would these same landowners welcome a new rail line?
The Greens have a problem with voters in rural Ireland, but promoting “pie in the sky”projects won’t win us over. – Yours, etc,
KENNETH HARPER,
Burtonport,
Co Donegal.
Sir, – Here, in full, is my own strategic rail review.
The track between Belfast and Dublin will be upgraded and electrified between now and 2033, cutting the journey time from the capital to the second city to little more than an hour.
An electrified western rail corridor will be built, running from Derry to Cork by way of Sligo, Galway and Limerick.
The routes from Cork to Rosslare by way of Waterford and from Belfast to Sligo via Monaghan will be reopened. Single track routes (Dublin-Galway, Dublin-Sligo, Dublin-Wexford, Belfast-Derry) will be doubled.
The end.
No need to bill me. – Yours, etc,
WALTER ELLIS
Plusqullec,
France.