'Now in a positive place' on Killucan station, says council

CIÉ has committed to seeking funding from the Department of Transport for a feasibility study into the potential reopening of Killucan Railway Station.

The news emerged at a recent high-level meeting between officials of CIÉ and Westmeath County Council and was relayed at a meeting of the council’s Planning and Transportation strategic policy committee this afternoon.

Providing an update, director of services Barry Kehoe said the council’s senior planner, Cathaldus Hartin, senior engineer, Damien Grennan, and he had met CIÉ officials recently.

He said CIÉ was hoping for an answer on its request for funding for the feasibility study by the end of the summer.

Mr Kehoe said he was optimistic the funding would be provided for the study and expressed the view that “we are now in a positive place”.

Long-time campaigner on the issue, Cllr Denis Leonard, however, marked the cards of his colleagues, stressing the importance of the feasibility study being informed by the council and not just by Irish Rail.

He pointed out that a feasibility study carried out by CIÉ in 2013 “rubbished” significant research carried out by AIT on the potential demand for a reopened rail station.

Highlighting that he had been through four county managers, five CIÉ CEOs and six ministers during a 20-year campaign to have the station reopened, he said the proposal would have the advantage of being 50% funded by the European Union through the Border Midlands West Regional Assembly.

Citing correspondence from the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, which stated that the local authority must provide for the preparation of a business case, Cllr Leonard said the council should proceed to have a business case for the reopening prepared.

“Whatever happens after the feasibility study, we will need to have a business case.”

Cllr Aoife Davitt said the reopening of the train station represented the epitome of all government policies on sustainable transport.

She pointed out that any such train station would help to take existing traffic out of Mullingar but also expressed fears on the issue of inflation.

Mr Kehoe concluded by describing a feasibility study as “a foundation stone to move forward”.

“Until that is done there is not much more we can do,” he said.

Mr Kehoe also expressed a personal belief that it would take more than €10m to reopen the station.