Dear Madam,
I write further to the piece in your edition of July 8 regarding the potential for a cycleway on the disused Athlone-Moate-Mullingar railway line. Other examples of such rail trails include the Great Western Greenway in County Mayo and the Great Southern Trail in counties Limerick and Kerry.
While supporting the idea in principle, a cycleway on the rails is another option: it would entail using the line for railbikes (velorails ). Basically these are lightweight pedal-powered vehicles which run on the rails. They come in a variety of types including ones with bench seats for non-pedalling passengers and ones that allow an ordinary bicycle be temporarily clamped to the rail-based vehicle to provide the pedal-power.
Such recreational use of disused railway lines is common in certain other European countries and France seems to have a particular forte in this regard. While there are several level crossings along the line, virtually all of these are across minor roads and it should not be unduly problematic to devise a safe solution to allow velorails cross. This could entail user-operated crossings or staff/volunteers from the velorail rental company manning the crossings.
A velorail starting point and rental facility could perhaps be located just east of the Ballymahon Road level crossing, only a short walk from both Athlone CIÉ station and the centre of town. Families, couples and individuals could rent a velorail for a few hours and enjoy a pleasant afternoon cycling the eight odd miles to Moate, or further afield to Mullingar. There could be an option to do a round trip or return by coach.
To get an approximate idea of cost I contacted a French supplier of velorails who quoted me a price of €500 each. Ideally though it would be better if the manufacture of velorails for such a scheme was carried out by an Irish firm.
The purchase costs of several velorails would easily be recouped in a matter of months by renting them out to people for a few hours.
Velorails are quite lightweight so once Iarnród Éireann have cleared vegetation from the line they should be able to run straight away.
A velorail scheme would have a significant novelty factor and make a very enjoyable outing for people of all ages. I’m confident that people would travel from far and wide thereby boosting the local economy. I feel such a scheme is viable and has much potential. I hope that the powers that be will give it consideration.
Yours, etc
Bernard H Allan
Cavan
