Sinéad McLaughlin: ‘Absolutely absurd’ Derry treated as ‘second class’ on rail

She made the claim during Members’ Statements at Stormont on Monday.

"Let me give you the facts, again: every station east of Coleraine gets 13 Sunday trains in each direction, which is, essentially, a service every hour, while stations west of Coleraine get just six — a train every two hours.

"That is not just unfair but absolutely absurd. Only one train from Derry reaches Belfast before 9am on weekdays. That is a complete failure of public transport planning, and it cripples opportunity for workers, students and the wider regional economy.

"The last train from Belfast to Derry is at 9.10pm, and, on Sundays, it is even worse: 7.10pm. After those times, passengers to the north-west are cut off,” the SDLP MLA stated.

The SDLP spokesperson on the Economy told MLAs that Derry, Castlerock and Bellarena each receive 2,400 fewer services per year than their eastern counterparts.

"That is over one million fewer seats for a city that is trying to grow its university, attract businesses and retain young people. For what? We are told that the cost to fix it would be in the region of £1.5 million a year, which is barely a footnote in that departmental budget.

"It works out at less than 8p per rail journey across the network, which is a tiny price to pay to end a glaring inequality that has persisted since 2017.

"Let us not forget that the situation affects more than just commuters. With a growing university in Magee, which is already facing a shortage of accommodation, many students commute into Derry, but only one train reaches the city by 9.00 am. That is unacceptable,” she said.

Mrs. McLaughlin claimed that with The Open golf tournament scheduled for Portrush this summer ‘the failure to provide proper Sunday services west of the Bann will once again undermine Derry and the wider north-west as a destination for visitors, investment and growth’.

"That is no longer a quiet policy flaw: it is a loud message to the people of the north-west that we are not seen; we are not prioritised; and we are not treated equally,” she said.