Public meeting to held in Derry over future of rail in North West

Rail campaigners Into The West are teaming up with Void Art Gallery to hold a public event this Saturday, (September 21) on the future of rail in the north-west.

The event comes in the wake of significant developments in recent months – with the release of the All-Island Rail Strategy, news of yet another delay to the upgrade of the Derry-Coleraine track, and figures which show that Derry’s rail station now has almost one million users a year.

The event starts at 2.00pm in Void Art Gallery’s premises at 10 Waterloo Place in Derry city centre (opposite the Embassy Building) and is part of the gallery’s ongoing ‘Nyctalopia’ project, which looks at the environmental crisis through the loss of transit systems.

The public meeting will discuss recent developments like the All-Island Rail Review and consider ‘what is next’ for the development of rail across the entire north-west of the island – including what should happen, and what appears likely to happen.

Immediately before the public meeting (at 12:30pm) Into The West will also be holding its first ever AGM.

This session will be for paid-up members of the campaign group only, and will seek to ensure members are brought up to speed with everything the group has been working on over the last 12 months. It will also provide an opportunity for members to help discuss and decide on Into The West’s objectives for the year ahead/2025, and for those who are interested to get more actively involved.

*PUBLIC MEETING ON RAIL- DERRY*
TOMORROW (Sat 21st - 2-4pm) we're holding a public meeting on futur of rail in NW in conjunction with the @VoidArtCentre. Preceeded by our AGM (12:30pm -membrs only bit). Public meeting is open to all. Info & to register=https://t.co/0TqazgdhRw… pic.twitter.com/GeKSqCzqp7

— Into The West (@IntoTheWestRail) September 20, 2024

Anyone keen to attend this members-only section of the programme can do so by joining Into The West online at : www.IntoTheWest.org/join-us or by signing up at the venue on the day at the event. Annual Membership costs £10 waged & £5 for unwaged/students.

Chair of Into The West, Steve Bradley, commented: “We’re delighted to team up with Void Art Gallery to run this important public event about the future of rail across this region.

“There has been so much happening in the world of infrastructure locally and across the island recently that we’re keen to engage with the public on it all and to look at what it means for this region.

“The event will also offer an opportunity for those interested in infrastructure and regional development to visit a fantastic city centre art venue, and for those within Derry’s arts scene to engage with the vitally important and hugely popular topic of rail in the north-west”.

Mr Bradley continued: “As well as the public meeting, we’ll also be holding Into The West’s first Annual General Meeting/AGM.
“This members-only event will also take place at Void, immediately before the public meeting, and will be an opportunity for us to engage directly with our members and secure their input into our work for the year ahead.

“Members are hugely important for an organisation like ours, and as the AGM is a closed-event we can also be a bit more candid with them about some of the meetings we’ve had and the challenges we face.

“We would urge anyone who’s keen to support out work to sign up as a member either online or in-person by coming along to the start of our AGM on Saturday”.

Anyone with an interest in regional development and infrastructure across the north-west of the island is urged to attend.