NI Railway Proposals - BBC and UTV Reports - 31st July 2024

[@timecapsule.]

Northern Ireland should have never gotten rid of its Rail network. Enniskillen used to be covered, but this is exciting.

[@BritishRail60062]

I love this plan. I have been suggesting that Belfast International should have a rail link that I have been campaigning for since 2017. Also let's encourage rail freight to come back to Northern Ireland as well. I hope to see to see Enniskillen and Fermanagh be added into the NECNI (North East Corridor Northern Ireland) network. I really want to help these out with more ideas and make this work to benefit all of the people.

[@dinty66]

Sligo to Armagh via Ennskillen makes prefect sense !

[@Tom-yp4mg]

Thank god I thought I was the only one who thought of this, but would Sligo to Belfast through Armagh not be better or I maybe that’s what you mean?

[@martinwalsh3228]

Reopening of the Western Rail Corridor would connect Connacht & Ulster by train. Reopening of the Athlone to Mullingar railway line would shorten train journey's from Mayo, Roscommon & Galway by train to Dublin and reopening Loughrea link & Connemara too would cut down on Traffic Jams in Galway.

[@markt1387]

Sounds exciting - do hope it goes ahead ❤😊

[@seanhughes9659]

Dublin to Belfast by train will not be efficient in any reasonable timeframe due to line sharing. It probably requires a tunnel out of Dublin and new line along the M1 in the South. The missed opportunity was not to add a rail tunnel when the Dublin Port Tunnel was under construction.

[@eurojamie]

Why have they left a small gap between the new wide bypass line around Dublin and the centrally-located lines to/from Cork, etc.? Could've had direct north-south trains without having to go through Dublin.

[@europa2000man]

Another thing that should be implemented if the government wants people to use public transport is not only to reopen and improve rail services, but also to improve bus services all over Ireland. There are many parts of Ireland that have no railway (or an infrequent service) and an infrequent bus services (some only going once or twice a week). Then the government don’t know why few people in rural Ireland use public transport and drive their own cars everywhere. If the service is there and is frequent (at least once an hour) and runs early in the morning and late into the evening/night, then people will use public transport. They may lose money to start with but eventually they will recoup their loses. Not everywhere is going to have a railway in close proximity to them. They will need better bus services to compliment the railway system.

[@joshuaW5621]

Yes. I’m tired of waiting half an hour for my local bus to arrive.

[@WhatALoadOfTosca]

This is great news but please don't let Translink have anything to do with it.

[@buzzukfiftythree]

Excellent proposals.

[@mlc4495]

Don't worry Fermanagh, you won't be the odd one out on the island of Ireland. It's unlikely the other counties like Cavan and Monaghan will get a rail line either going by past transport proposals that ended up being scrapped.

[@James-gc5if]

Good news. Hope the two governments follow through on the whole ambitious plan. Just don't expect £31 bn to be the final cost! Shame about the Fermanagh 'snub' - I remember watching a show about their closed railway which highlighted the museum in Enniskillen.

[@joshuaW5621]

Hopefully that will change one day.

[@joshuaW5621]

There are so many railway lines in Northern Ireland that should be rebuilt.

[@weezersthebluealbum9479]

I’m not even from Fermanagh but the way they’re talking about “the costs not adding up” makes my blood boil, talking as if they’re a business. Is somewhere like Enniskillen going to generate the same money as Belfast? Obviously not, but the people there pay taxes just like people in Belfast and deserve a rail network nevertheless. Sick and tired of government being run more like a business rather than actually serving the public.

[@joshuaW5621]

They’re giving Fermanagh the middle finger in this project.

[@michaelhickland4450]

Stating the obvious should been dome 25 years ago

[@robertfoulkes1832]

What about Buggleskelly? Hasn't had a rail service since Will Hay filmed "Oh! Mr Porter" 😢

[@NornIronNews]

"Next train's gone"... 😊 Great little film. "Oh I don't mind which station I'm sent to as long as it's near a railway".

[@joshuaW5621]

Where is Buggleskelly?

[@NornIronNews]

@@joshuaW5621 According to the movie Oh Mr Porter it's a station in Northern Ireland 😂

[@robertfoulkes1832]

​​​@@joshuaW5621 The movie is available on KZbin. Just search for "Oh! Mr Porter".

[@conorferris5982]

I don't think this will happen because the railways have been closed for years I have no money either the government so I don't think it's happening

[@colinmacdonald5732]

No electrification then?

[@joshuaW5621]

There are still plans to electrify the Enterprise. Honestly I think Belfast should also have a rapid transit system like the DART. Maybe Derry too.

[@tld8102]

Im sure if you ask the Brussels EU they'll fund it. 30 billion is alot of money, but the UK seems to be broke for the foreseeable future. I can't see London throwing their weight behind this level of investment. they can't seem to even build a proper high speed train in england.

[@ABTrainsYT]

At least Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are doing a better job than the island of Great Britain 🤷‍♂️

[@joshuaW5621]

Ya think? I’m jealous of the amount of railways you guys still have.

[@rachel.mcgowan]

There's still lots of ongoing and planned rail projects in GB. The HS2 debacle is terrible but there's more going on there right now than in Ireland.

[@trinity1181]

Talk is cheap, I would be surprised if 25 % of this is done

[@helenaville5939]

It's already underway here in the republic.

[@BeardLAD]

Monorail

[@McRocket]

Fine. But what about Craggy Island? It desperately needs rail service. ☮

[@markt1387]

@@McRocket "Well Father, there's no demand for that - because it's shoite...."😂😂😂😂

[@NornIronNews]

@@McRocket @McRocket That would be an ecumenical matter to be sure.

[@fczSevenzero]

And do you really think that these proposals will really make a change to the environment? They'll just be as many cars/hgv's on the road as there is now. Also, where I like to travel to and when I like to, public transport doesn't cater for me and I'm sure many others.

[@bubba842]

Are you an undercover American?

[@eurojamie]

But for those that it does suit it still makes it better for you because you won't have to share the road with their vehicles, it's win-win.

[@joshuaW5621]

As true as your sentence is, at least having the railways back will give people the option to take a faster route and will encourage people to take the train.

[@michaeloreilly657]

Reducing carbon emissions by providing faster links to airports. Anyone else notice an oxymoron?

[@trinity1181]

True but people will go to the airport regardless so would take so many cars of the road

[@helenaville5939]

Be reasonable. You can't achieve everything at once. Carbon emissions will be considerably reduced by taking many cars/taxis off the airport routes due to provision of alternative train links. That's a positive step.

[@mlc4495]

People are still going to travel overseas, whether or not the airport is serviced by rail.

[@greek9244]

This is an island, people are inevitably going to still use the airport. Aircraft are becoming more fuel efficient every year and hopefully this trend continues even further.