Members of the public are being invited to an ‘Armagh Reconnected’ event at the City Hotel next Tuesday, October 1.
The meeting, organised by the Portadown to Armagh Railway Society (PARS), will hear from renowned rail campaigner, Simon Walton.
He will discuss how he led a campaign in the Borders region of Scotland – similar to the campaign being driven by the PARS group in Armagh to reinstate a rail link between to one of Ireland’s historic cities.
Simon will address the event, speaking about his experiences with the long challenge of opening the Borders Railway, between Edinburgh and Tweedbank, with firm ambitions to extend the railway through Hawick to Carlisle.
As a versatile manager, Simon also worked in a legal practice in Manchester, earning a Law Society award for technical innovation.
He’s also been recognised by the national RailFutures organisation, winning this year’s Outstanding Campaigner award.
There are many similarities between the work of the Campaign for Borders Rail, of which Simon was was chair for ten years, and the earnest ambitions at PARS.
William Hutchinson, Chairman of PARS, said: “We’re welcoming Simon, who is eager to share his experiences, and exchange ideas with the audience on the day.
“Simon is a forthright advocate for economic development, social inclusion and environmental sustainability-all of which he considers fundamental to arguing a successful case for railway development.”
Simon has recently completed a three year project in Sheffield, supporting retail business regeneration. Before his involvement with the Campaign for Borders Rail, Simon was already an established communications professional, with extensive experience in the transport, travel and tourism sectors.
For the past five years Simon has been the UK editor for ProMedia, the Rotterdam based publishers of RailTech.com and RailFreight.com. He has also recently taken on editorial duties with the international trade magazine WorldCargo News.
The campaign to have the railway line reinstated in Armagh, following its closure in October 1957, has been moving forward at a pace in recent years.
A £800,000 feasibility study is currently ongoing and the project has been included in the All-Ireland Rail Review, which was published earlier this summer.
However, the campaign for Armagh’s reintroduction to the rail network has been 10 years in the works, with a 10,000-signature petition handed over to Stormont back in 2014.
Mr Hutchinson said: “When Armagh station closed in 1957 there was approximately 10,000 people living in the city; today that number is closer to 17,000.
“Reconnecting Armagh to the rail network would be a real boon for a city – the injection that we need.”
And while Sir Henry Benson’s 1963 report recommended the closure of several railway lines in Northern Ireland, the author did predict that a time will come congestion will rule the roads and the re-opening of railways will need to be considered.
And with Armagh, that prediction has come to pass.
The event, on Tuesday, October 1 at the Armagh City Hotel, is open to the public and begins at 7pm. Tea and coffee will be served on the evening.
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