Portadown-Derry-Letterkenny railway a ‘critical investment priority’ says Eamon Ryan

However, he again indicated that the all-island strategic rail review which has been completed by Arup cannot be published until a northern transport minister is in place to sign it off.

Speaking in the Dáil Deputy Ryan said he believed there is a need for balanced regional development, ‘particularly for the north west, and specifically on the lack of connectivity to Donegal’.

The minister ruled out developing a new connection between Claremorris in Mayo, which is located on the Dublin to Westport line, and Collooney in Sligo, which is served by the Dublin to Sligo railway, while Donegal remains without a rail connection.

He said: “Sligo has a rail service but Donegal does not and it has suffered as a result for decades.”

He added: “There is another investment proposal that should get priority, namely, a rail line running from Portadown west through Dungannon, Omagh, Strabane, Letterkenny and Derry.

"That would have huge benefits for all the towns along that route and for connecting Letterkenny to Derry, which is a critical investment priority.

"That should be the priority, rather than spending significant sums on the Charlestown, Collooney, Sligo and Donegal route.”

Sinn Féin T.D. Pádraig Mac Lochlainn described the lack of rail connectivity in Donegal as ‘sheer neglect’.

"When we take out the map of rail infrastructure in Ireland, it is clear we need to connect the west, as I said, from Galway through Mayo, Sligo and Donegal, and up to Derry. Unfortunately, the failure was in the North with the British Government and with our own Governments historically,” he said.

Deputy Ryan responded: “The key investment decision, particularly in Donegal and the north-west, is that spur from Portadown via Dungannon, Omagh, Strabane, Letterkenny and Derry.

"My view is that it should be the first priority because those towns would really benefit. For example, a connection from Letterkenny to Derry would transform the town's relationship to the city.”

But the minister acknowledged that the redevelopment of a line along the old ‘Derry Road’ would be ‘very expensive’.

He suggested it would be unlikely the Irish government would receive funding under the European Union’s Trans-European Transport Network for a railway outside the EU.

"The question then is going to be for the NI Administration and the UK Government, given I am not sure we can apply for TEN-T funding for rail infrastructure in NI.

“If we are looking at all of the different choices, that is going to be one of the key political decisions, and it is a key decision up North because it would not be cheap.

"Building new rail lines is very expensive. I think it is justified, particularly the connection to Donegal, which we would obviously support. To go back to the Deputy’s earlier question on whether we would invest in Northern infrastructure, the answer is ‘Yes’ - we would do so for that sort of project, but it is not cheap.

"That is going to be one of the immediate questions - namely, will we get the funding for that line? - because that is the biggest new project that will come out of the strategic rail review, subject to it being agreed.”

Phase 3 of Derry rail upgrade slated for 2025 with 9 month closure required