Galway Bay fm newsroom - A new report initiated by campaign group West on Track has concluded that there is a strong business case for the reopening of the railway from Galway to Mayo as part of the wider Atlantic Railway Corridor at a cost of 154 million euro.
The 210 page study published by economist Dr. John Bradley contains a socio-economic profile of Tuam which examines employment and the commuting patterns associated with the county town.
It advocates for the restoration of Tuam’s rail link as part of a major transport interchange in the soon to be developed ‘Station Quarter’ and also proposes that an additional park and ride station be developed at Abbeyknockmoy to offer a commuter service.
The analysis puts forward an argument that the prospect of renewed rail services between Galway and Mayo offers the broader Tuam Local Electoral Area a rare opportunity to regain access to the national railway network with two new stations, one in Tuam Town and another at Abbeyknockmoy.
The report was prepared following the publication in January 2021 of a report prepared by the consultancy firm EY and carried out on behalf of Iarnród Éireann and the Department of Tourism, Transport and Sport.
It examined the viability of extending the Western Rail Corridor from Athenry to Claremorris and found there is no case to be made for such a service, whether for passengers or freight.
The campaign group argues that the EY report raised many questions and contained some errors so a fresh appraisal was deemed necessary.
Group spokesperson is Colmán Ó Raghallaigh - he says Dr. Bradley and his team have done a great service to our entire region and the Government should now move to include this important infrastructure in the forthcoming National Development Plan.
