Greenway lobby gets right back to business

The end of the General Election battle has triggered a renewed campaign to provide a walking and cycling greenway on the rail corridor from Athenry to Tuam and further north towards Sligo.

And their hopes were buoyed by comments from freshly returned Deputy Ciaran Cannon who said that the provision of a walking and cycling greenway was the only way in which to preserve the integrity of the line into the future.

He warned that the worst case scenario would be for the existing rail track to fall into private ownership in the future – which, he said, could feasibly happen if the railway line was not being used.

The Athenry TD said that, regardless of who was in power next week and regardless of who is the new Transport Minister, the provision of the greenway has to take top priority.

Deputy Cannon said that it would be the most cost effective greenway that would be provided in the whole of Europe because it would not involve the compulsory acquisition of land.

“If the new government lasts full term, then I hope that the groundwork for the provision of a greenway from Athenry all the way to Sligo will be at an advanced stage. The economic benefits to towns like Athenry and Tuam outweigh the cost involved in constructing the cycle path.

“Apart from that it would showcase some of the most valuable assets we have in Galway including Ballyglunin Railway Station which has been restored by a tremendous local committee. It would be a crying shame if hundreds of thousands of people did not seek the work that has been carried out,” Deputy Cannon added.

However, newly-elected TD for Galway East Sean Canney is not convinced. He said that he has absolutely no objection to walking and cycling greenways but he would oppose it being provided on the Western Rail Corridor.

Deputy Canney is of the opinion that if a greenway is provided along the railway track, it will ultimately result in a train service never being provided. The outgoing Transport Minister Paschal Donohue has repeatedly said that it would not be a viable option.

The most recent train service from Athenry to Ennis is loss making and it is doubtful if any government will pump millions into a rail service between Athenry and Tuam.

Tuam’s Cllr Shaun Cunniffe said that he was delighted that Deputy Cannon was making the greenway one of his priorities and has now intends inviting the Fine Gael TD to a meeting in Tuam to progress the plan.