Hopes that Old Rail Trail and reopened tracks can 'co-exist'

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The review document does not address what the reopening of the line to Athlone would mean for the Old Rail Trail greenway – and this week, local representatives, reacting to the review, were keen that a means be found to accommodating both the reopened line and the leisure route.

Keen also is Fáilte Ireland: “We don’t have the full details of this new plan but we would expect that the Old Rail Trail Greenway and the new rail services could co-exist.

“We will continue to collaborate with local authorities and relevant stakeholders on any future development to these trails,” said Paddy Mathews, head of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands.

He believes that the review’s recommendations on expanding railway services will benefit Mullingar as they will place it at the centre of a significant travel network for the island of Ireland. “That will encourage more visitors to visit the Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands region, promote no car travel and contribute to the sustainable development of tourism across the midlands,” Mr Mathews said.

He added that the Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands Team at Fáilte Ireland has been working closely with Westmeath County Council on maximising the tourism potential of the Old Rail Trail and Royal Canal Greenways, with significant funding invested in both trails.

Eleven-year history

The decision to create the Old Rail Trail was made by Westmeath County Council in 2013, although there were some misgivings voiced in both political and tourist circles about what was at the time seen as a move that would end the hopes of re-opening the train line to Athlone.

The opening of the rail became possible thanks to a 20-year lease agreed between Iarnród Éireann and Westmeath County Council, so there has always been an awareness that the greenway might prove to be a temporary piece of infrastructure.

Local public representatives hope that will not prove to be the case: “I’m hopeful there will be no impact on the greenway,” said the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Peter Burke TD.

“Route selection is way down the tracks for now but significant investment has been made in our greenways so I would fully expect that to be protected.”

Deputy Robert Troy was of a similar mindframe: “The Old Rail Trail has been a major benefit to tourism in this region, so I would say any future development of a rail service would need to be done along with maintaining our greenway.”

Cllr Ken Glynn said that last year, when members of Westmeath County Council met the three lead groups for a transport system in Ireland, including Irish Rail, he had asked if the potential re-opening of the Mullingar to Athlone rail line would affect the Old Rail Trail.

“They were pretty emphatic that it would not affect it, that they could reinstate the rail line and have the old rail trail there. So I think that’s something to be welcomed,” he said.