The Athlone-Mullingar railway is off the table until at least 2030. Councillors have been told “Don’t hold your breath”, as the reopening of the line will not be considered by Iarnród Éireann before 2030.
The council’s director of services Barry Kehoe was responding to queries on the future development of the rail corridor at this week’s Athlone Area meeting.
Mr Kehoe said the ideal use for the Athlone-Mullingar rail corridor is the proposed Dublin to Galway cycleway, plans for which are at an advanced stage.
“To reinstate the railway will cost at least €100 million in capital investment. Don’t hold your breath waiting for the railway - it may come in 2030, ‘40, or ‘50, but in the meantime the ideal use is as a cycleway,” he said.
He added that developing the cycleway will in no way interfere with the council’s long-term aim of reopening the rail line.
“It is the aspiration of the council that the railway will be reinstated, but in no way will this proposal [for the cycleway] prejudice its reopening. The intention is to put the cycleway alongside the railway as the corridor is wide enough and there is ample space to accommodate the cycleway.
“There is no way the Athlone-Mullingar line will receive funding before 2030. If, after this, it is decided to reinstate it, at that point the cycleway could be put alongside the railway corridor if it doesn’t fit beside the line - it would be parallel to the train line but not in the same corridor.”
Responding to a question from Cllr Tom Allen on the possibility of widening the railway gates on the Mount Temple Road, Moate, Mr Kehoe said he expected a crossing to be designed for this location to facilitate cyclists using the new cycleway, as well as for people using the new Moate amenity park.
The route for the Dublin-Galway cycleway, to include the stretch along the Athlone-Mullingar rail corridor, is expected to be selected by the end of June, after which it will go out for public consultation, with construction to begin in 2014.
