Local Fianna Fáil TD Frank Fahey has confirmed that agreement has been reached between Galway County Council and Iarnrod Eireann regarding the acquisition of a site for the development of a new train station in Oranmore.
The train station will prove an enormous boost to residents of Oranmore when developed, he said.
Welcoming news of an agreement on acquisition of a site, which was confirmed to him by the Chief Executive of Iarnród Eireann, Deputy Fahey said: “I am delighted that an agreement has been reached between Galway County Council and Iarnrod Eireann regarding the acquisition of the site and the necessary access to it for the development of the Oranmore Train Station.
“Work on the design of the station has started and it is hoped that a planning application will be submitted by October of this year.
“This is a very welcome development. I have been working to progress this project for some time and when the Western Rail Corridor opened a few months ago, I met with Iarnrod Eireann again to urge them to prioritise the Oranmore station.
“The cost of the new station has been included in the €106.5 million budget for the Western Rail project.
“I have also asked Galway County Council to proceed as quickly as possible with land acquisition of site adjoining the train station site for the provision of a park and ride facility.
"The Western Rail Corridor is a critically important piece of infrastructure for Galway and the entire region. This is the longest section of track to be reopened in the entire country and is the first time in 30 years passenger trains have run directly between Limerick and Galway. It is already proving very popular and once the new station is developed, the people of Oranmore will be able to enjoy the benefits of the new services.
"Despite huge pressures on government finances, Fianna Fáil is clearly delivering on transport commitments and investing huge amounts of money upgrading our national roads and public transport," concluded Dep Fahey.s
