Into The West urges north-west residents to join rail fight ahead of crucial AGM
Rail campaigners demand end to 'West of the Bann' rail discrimination ahead of annual meeting
Local rail campaigners Into The West are holding their Annual General Meeting this Saturday, and calling on anyone interested in securing better rail for the north-west to become a member and attend.
Into The West is the rail campaign for Derry, Donegal, Tyrone and Fermanagh, and one of the island’s leading rail groups. The organisation recently introduced an option for people to sign-up as members to help support its work and to have a say in its priorities.
As part of this they will be holding their second ever Annual General Meeting (AGM) this Saturday (May 23), with a number of key issues on the agenda to be considered and agreed.
Into The West has identified 3 key campaigning priorities for the next 12 months, which they will put before their members for discussion and ratification at that AGM. The proposed priorities are :
1) Secure further progress on opening the Letterkenny-Derry-Portadown rail corridor – with an emphasis on funding for a feasibility study into restoring the Letterkenny-Derry route.
2) Resolve the long-standing timetable and frequency discrimination against Derry and the West of the Bann on the Derry-Belfast rail line.
3) Utilise the 2027 NI elections to elevate rail up the political agenda across Derry, Tyrone & Fermanagh.
As part of Point 2 above, the group will specifically be seeking its members views on whether it should launch a Judicial Review to legally challenge the failure of NI Infrastructure Minister (Liz Kimmins MLA – Sinn Féin) to end 9 years of timetable/frequency discrimination against Derry and the West of the Bann on the Derry-Belfast rail line.
This and other key issues affecting rail in the north-west will be discussed at the Annual General Meeting on Saturday, May 23 in the North West Learning Disability Centre (formerly ‘Destined’) at 1 Foyle Road, Derry, BT48 6SQ.
The AGM starts at 2pm, but will be preceeded by an exclusive tour of the contents and exhibits of the former Foyle Valley Railway Musuem next door at 1pm. The meeting and tour are open to paid-up members of Into The West only, and anyone keen to attend can join via their website at www.IntoTheWest.org/Support-Us . Annual Membership costs just £10 (waged) or £5 (unwaged/retired/students).
Chair of Into The West, Steve Bradley, commented “The next 12 months will be a crucial period in the fight for more and better rail across the north-west – with elections to both Stormont and councils in the north and the need to secure a Letterkenny rail feasibility study in the south.
"Into The West has led the way in making the case for rail across this region for the last 2 decades, but we’ve only been able to do so thanks to the support of people in the north-west. Having official members really helps strengthen our voice when we meet with key stakeholders and decisions-makers. And it also provides us with funding to produce professional campaign materials like leaflets, videos and banners.
"We’d therefore urge anyone interested in seeing rail improved and expanded across the north-west to sign up as a member on our website and join us at our AGM this Saturday to help shape the year ahead for Into The West. Together we can ensure that this corner of the island finally receives the level of infrastructure it deserves”.
Anyone keen to attend Saturday’s AGM can join into the West at www.IntoTheWest.org/Support-Us.