Rail review condemns Derry to slowest rail speed of any city on island

Rail campaigners ‘Into The West’ have reacted with anger at a recommendation that Derry should be the only city on the island of Ireland to NOT have a 200km/hr (120mph) rail service. 

The proposal is part of the ‘All-Island Strategic Rail Review’, which was published in draft form over the Summer. The Review states that services between the seven core cities on the island (Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Derry, Limerick, Galway and Waterford) should be 200km/hr (120mph).

However – it was then ambiguous about the recommended speed of services on the proposed Derry-Portadown route, which will be part of the new main rail corridor between the north-west and Dublin and Belfast once reopened. Into The West sought clarification on this point from Translink, who have informed them that Derry will be the only core city to NOT have a 200km/hr rail service. 

Translink have clarified that the reopened Derry-Portadown rail route is being uniquely classified as “other inter-city routes” – a status that will apply only to this section of track. Derry will therefore be the only core city on the island that will not have trains running at 200km/hr.

That will condemn Derry, Letterkenny and Tyrone to having a sub-standard rail service despite being part of a key inter-city route between three of the island’s four largest cities.  

Chair of Into The West, Steve Bradley, has expressed the organisation’s dismay at this decision : “It would be fair to say that we are gobsmacked, bit not surprised, at the decision to single-out Derry for the lowest quality of rail service on the island. The All-Island Rail Strategy is clear that the seven core cities – of which Derry is one – should receive 200km/hr rail services. To then create a slower category of inter-city line and apply it solely to the Derry-Portadown route is a calculated insult to the people of the north-west.

"Especially as the Derry-Portadown line will be built completely from scratch, so could operate at whatever speed was desired.  For some reason Arup (the Review’s consultants), the NI Department for Infrastructure and Translink have combined to decide that it makes sense to treat Derry, Tyrone and Donegal so poorly. Why have they singled out the West of the Bann for this second-rate quality of service ? And why does this keep happening to Derry?

"Answers are needed, as this is a bigger issue than just rail”.

A public consultation is currently being held on the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, running until the end of Friday 29th September. Into The West are urging people in the north-west to make submissions to that consultation, outlining their concern at the proposal for Derry to have a slower rail speed than every other city on the island (with lower speeds for Tyrone and Donegal as a consequence). Other issues in the Rail Strategy that Into The West are also keen for people to raise via the public consultation are :

1) Derry and Letterkenny must be directly connected by rail services. Passengers making the 21 mile journey between the two places should not have to change trains.

2) Rail services between Derry and Dublin should not be routed via Letterkenny. The route should begin and end at Letterkenny, before travelling on to Derry, Strabane, Omagh etc.

3) City of Derry Airport should have a multi-purpose rail station. Not just for the airport - but as a station for neighbouring villages like Eglinton, Greysteel etc, and also a Park and Rail facility to reduce road traffic along the A2.

4) A rail freight hub should be established in the north-west, close to Foyle Port.

5) A rail corridor through Donegal to Sligo should be recommended – connecting Derry and Letterkenny to Ballybofey, Donegal Town, Ballyshannon and Bundoran. Co.Donegal needs rail in more places than just Letterkenny. 

6) Fermanagh should not be the only county on the island left without rail. An Omagh-Enniskillen-Sligo rail route should also be included in the strategy.

Submissions to the public consultation on the Rail Review must be emailed to StrategicRailReview@arup.com before 11:59pm on Friday 29th September.

Mr Bradley concluded “The days of accepting a second-class quality of rail service for Derry and the north-west must be brought to an end. It is unacceptable for our city to be the only one on the island to not receive fast 200km/hr trains.

"The good news is that this Rail Strategy is still only in draft form – so there is time to influence and change its content. We would urge as many people as possible to raise this point directly with the Review’s authors and force a change on the proposal. And we would be grateful if people could also raise Into The West’s other concerns regarding the Review, as outlined above.

"The finished version of this Rail Strategy will set in stone the rail development plans for this island for the next 30 years or more. It is therefore essential that we ensure its proposals for the north-west maximise the ambition and benefits of rail across this city and region”.

N.B. : The deadline for submitting responses to the public consultation on the draft Rail Strategy is 11:59pm on Friday 29th September 2023. Email comments to  StrategicRailReview@arup.com