STRIPPED OF OUR RAIL

The 1950s and 60s saw a series of controversial decisions that left the North-West corner of the island of Ireland stripped of almost all rail infrastructure. That left Tyrone, Donegal and Fermanagh with no trains at all, and the west of the province of Ulster almost entirely erased from the island's rail network. Two generations have since been raised in Tyrone, Donegal and Fermanagh without access to a transport mode most of the rest of the island takes for granted.

STRONG SUPPORT FOR RAIL TO RETURN

The public’s desire to see rail return and expand across the North-West has remained strong ever since. That was shown earlier this year when the greatest number of contributions to the public consultation on the ‘All-Island Rail Review Strategy’ came from the Fermanagh-Omagh and Derry-Strabane Districts. This confirmed the huge interest across the north-west of the island for the return and expansion of rail. 

NORTH WEST RAIL CORRIDOR CAMPAIGN

To turn that hope into reality, 'Into The West' have launched a major campaign to reopen the North West Rail Corridor. The NW Rail Corridor will be a line of rail connecting Letterkenny, Derry-Londonderry, Strabane/Lifford, Omagh and Dungannon to each other and to the existing rail network at Portadown - from where trains will continue on to Belfast or Dublin.  Indicative journey times to Dublin would be 3hrs from Letterkenny, 2hrs 45mins from Derry, and 2hrs 10mins from Omagh, whilst Omagh to Belfast would take approx 1hr 25mins.

A GAME CHANGER FOR THE NORTH-WEST OF IRELAND

No other initiative would have a greater impact across the north-west than restoring its rail access would. And no other rail project would connect such a large number of people across so many significant towns and counties. That’s why the North West Rail Corridor should be a top priority rail reopening for governments north and south, and the number one focus for cross-border funding. For too long the north-west of the island has been left disconnected, disadvantaged and disregarded. Committing to the North West Rail Corridor will enable the authorities north and south to finally prove they are serious about addressing that.  

A FOUNDATION STONE FOR FURTHER RAIL REOPENINGS

Fermanagh has also been left without rail for 70 years, and the most likely way rail will ever return to Enniskillen is via Omagh. So realistically - the only way to get trains back to Fermanagh is by reopening the North West Rail Corridor. In addition - Mid-Ulster is the fastest growing part of NI, and a significant industrial hub. Restoring the North West Rail Corridor to Dungannon could therefore enable future re-openings northwards to fast-growing towns like Cookstown and Magherafelt. 

HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN

• Do you want to close the huge gap in the rail maps of Ulster and the island of Ireland?
• Do you want rail to return to Tyrone, Donegal and Fermanagh - and have Derry/Londonderry reinstated as a regional transport hub ?
• Do you want fast, modern and comfortable trains from the west of Ulster direct to Belfast and Dublin ?
• And do you want a project with the ability to completely change the economic, social and tourism prospects of the north-west of the island ? 

If yes - then please sign and share our petition. It's time to end the North-West's transport isolation. It's time to restore the North West Rail Corridor !

For more information, visit : www.IntoTheWest.org