An £800,000 feasibility study, currently being carried out into the reestablishment of a railway line from Portadown to Armagh, is expected to be complete by March of next year.
Funding for the study was announced last December following a successful technical study in 2022.
And this week, the Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd met members of Portadown Armagh Railway Society – a group that has been campaigning for the reinstatement of the line for more than a decade.
The group’s chairman, William Hutchinson, told Armagh I how the minister was extremely enthusiastic to see their campaign bear fruit.
“Mr O’Dowd was very optimistic on the plans for a railway line to Armagh,” said William.
“Our member, Derek Smyth, presented the history of PARS, our origins, and showed him photographs of the original route, and our journey so far. We also showed him some photographic evidence of how much of the lines is still intact and how doable the project is.”
The meeting also discussed the All-Island Rail Review which was published earlier this year.
The most significant local recommendation within that review was the adjustment of the timeline to bring forward the reinstatement of railway between Portadown and Armagh from a long-term to a medium-term horizon.
This means the project has an anticipated delivery date of between 2030 and 2040.
However, William and PARS, were keen to keep the Armagh project at the forefront, given the longevity of the campaign, pre-dating the All-Island Review.
“We really wanted to stress that in our campaigning, we’re ahead of the All-Island strategic review; we don’t want to be put back in the melting pot, to start the race again.
“We wanted to make that clear that the Armagh project was well ahead of many other projects mentioned in that review. We need to keep momentum for the work that has been put in to date, which is substantial.”
Said William: “I think the Minister was really impressed by the work we have put in to date. He recognised the professional way that we come up through the council, and that we had a working group within the ABC Council.
“He recognised that we had taken the long haul up, and he appreciated that, and he reckoned it was a good route to take. And we are hoping that there will be a good outcome from that.”
With the feasibility study to conclude in March 2025, William hopes the next stage is a the preparation of a business case, which will require a further tranche of money.
“Hopefully,” he said, “the Minister will be minded to help fund that business case and really move this project closer to the finish line.”
Speaking officially, the Minister confirmed his support for the reinstatement of the railway line from Portadown to Armagh, which “would support economic growth in Armagh and tackle climate change”.
Minister O’Dowd added: “I look forward to seeing the findings of the ongoing feasibility study that is due to be completed by March 2025. If this more detailed study continues to show the project to be viable, like the earlier studies did, then I will be keen to maintain the momentum and move the project to the next stage.”
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