Letter: A radical plan for North West transport

During a recent visit to Derry-Londonderry, I was struck by the very good Foyle Metro services which are now in place throughout the city – a move which was long in the making back when Ulsterbus Foyle was still going.

Public transport links to the city have been largely neglected throughout the past 100 years, so it is good to see a city-wide network of net zero emissions buses operating on a regular timetable.

What impressed me even more was the sight of an easyJet and a Ryanair aircraft at City of Derry Airport – something which people in the city probably never thought would have been possible until only a few years ago.

The air links to City of Derry are a significant sign of improving economic growth for the North West which now open the door to further air connectivity to mainland Europe and other UK/Ireland destinations.

The North West has a long way to travel before it enjoys first class public transport links, but the past few years have been a welcome start.

The question is: what should be done next to make further progress?

The Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government must commit to the All-Island Strategic Rail Review and build the Portadown to Derry-Londonderry rail line, with an extension to Letterkenny.

Building a more direct link to Dublin will reduce the journey times between the capital of the North West with Dublin and open the city to a new global economic corridor.

The Department for the Economy and Derry and Strabane District Council should pledge also to redevelop the terminal building at City of Derry to make it more attractive to further airline expansion – let’s remember that the runway at the airport is longer than that at Belfast City Airport.

A new, expanded terminal building at City of Derry could open new routes to places like Amsterdam or Frankfurt for business and Malaga or Faro for leisure travel.

The next step for the bus network in the city would naturally have to be that which has happened already in Belfast – there is already a Foyle Metro, so why not a Foyle Glider?

A new, high quality bus corridor between let’s say Altnagelvin Hospital and Ulster University’s Magee campus that runs every 10 or 15 minutes would be a massive step to reducing the city’s carbon footprint and increasing further travel on the local bus network. A 'Foyle Glider' is no longer an unrealistic prospect.

Derry-Londonderry is a fast-growing city with new, global companies such as Alchemy setting up at new, modern office accommodation in locations such as Ebrington Plaza.

These companies have come to the North-West because they see opportunity for growth here. It is now time to support this new era of economic growth and opportunity in the North-West with a new era of public transport infrastructure. Now let’s build it!

Edward Ferrin,

Belfast

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