Derry to Portadown line a ‘big long-term project’ that would transform rail connectivity: Eamon Ryan

The Irish rail minister again raised the prospect of a restored ‘Derry Road’ in the Seanad this week.

“One of the very interesting prospects is a potential new rail line. We have been discussing this in the Dáil. It might spur from Portadown to Dungannon, Omagh, Strabane and Derry with a connection to Letterkenny.

“This blue-sky thinking, going back to where we were in the early part of the 20th century, could be transformative for the rail network for the entire island and particularly for Donegal which does not have the connectivity and public transport service it needs.

"It is one of the projects I will be looking to see if we can promote and work with our colleagues in the North to make sure it is in the rail review. It would give us the potential to be transformative in our approach. It is a big long-term project,” said the Green Party leader.

The Minister for Transport said he believed improving rail connectivity to the north west could be achieved with a new rail link from Armagh, via Tyrone and Derry to Donegal.

“It is vital to get connectivity to Donegal. It has suffered from all that lost connectivity. I do not believe it is necessarily the Belfast-Derry route. It is a great route and a beautiful train ride but I think the real opportunity may be a spur from Portadown through Dungannon, Omagh, Strabane, Lifford and Derry to Letterkenny.

"Those towns are not small and would benefit from such connectivity. The advantage is it would run from Derry into Letterkenny and then give the option to go from there to Belfast or Dublin, one being a more direct route. That is the prize that I will talk to the political parties up north about if I get the chance.”

Mr. Ryan has previously confirmed that he had spoken about a revived Derry to Portadown rail link with a UK transport expert appointed to examine large scale infrastructure projects.

DERRY JOURNAL Editorial: ​Rail desert has to be addressed