West=On=Track - News

County Sligo IFA Supports Opening of Western Rail Corridor

Press Release
Wednesday Februry 11th 2004

Joe Coulter P.R.O. for Co Sligo IFA, has strongly endorsed the West = on = Track campaign, to re-open the Western Rail Corridor from Sligo to Limerick. Reopening this railway will provide a major and much needed social and economic boost, to the rural communities of the west. Re-establishing a rail link to the west and south, will give service and opportunity, to the smaller towns and villages along the line and will be a catalyst for their regeneration.

To the people of Co. Sligo, urban or rural, farmer or non - farmer, this railway will provide choice; the choice for the third level students to live at home and commute to Galway or Sligo; The choice for tourists to visit Sligo, from the south and for locals to travel abroad via Knock or Shannon airports, instead of Dublin; For day patients, outpatients and visitors, the hospitals of the West, Mid West and Sligo are all accessible via the W.R.C. Providing such choices, enhances the quality of life in rural communities, making them more attractive places in which to live. Pensioners can avail of free travel, like their counterparts in Dublin. A variety of new travel options will unfold, providing connections to shoppers, day trippers and business people across the region. Furthermore there is significant freight potential in the W.R.C.

The Western Rail Corridor project, is in keeping with the National Spatial Strategy objective of rebalancing the East/West division of Ireland. Dublincentric policies, have sucked the social and economic lifeblood from the regions for too long. When Seamus Brennan visits the railway next Friday 13th, a positive statement by him, to re-open the entire line, is what the people want to hear.This is a West of Ireland issue & must not be allowed to become a political football.The Minister will be launching West = on = Track's consultants report in Kiltimagh. Finally Mr. Coulter emphasised the necessity to avoid the danger, of the project being partly built, with Co. Sligo being left out.