18/12/2025
I welcome the publication of the Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy under the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, which places Galway and the West at the centre of national rail planning.
The Strategy identifies early intervention projects deliverable by 2030 to improve capacity, frequency and reliability on rail lines - including a second platform at Woodlawn, continued investment in Ceannt Station and Oranmore, and capacity and frequency enhancements on the Galway-Athenry corridor.
The Strategy also includes the Western Rail Corridor for construction as a major project, supporting future passenger and freight services in the West.
Further measures strengthen connectivity from Galway towards Limerick and Cork, with passing loops and station upgrades identified on the Limerick-Athenry line, alongside early interventions on the Athlone–Mayo corridor to improve journey times and reliability.
The Strategy also identifies the Portadown-Derry-Letterkenny project as a major project to strengthen regional and rural connectivity along the north-western seaboard.
This Strategy gets the sequencing right - delivering practical improvements now while progressing the major investments that will shape rail services in the West for decades to come.
