Leitrim councillors join group behind call for ‘long overdue’ rail service in North-West
The service would leave for Sligo town before 9 am, Monday to Friday
Councillors from across the North-West have launched a coordinated campaign to pressure the Minister for Transport for an early morning rail service from the region before 9 am
Councillors from Sligo, Leitrim, Longford and Roscommon are joining forces to call on the Minister for Transport, Iarnród Éireann and the National Transport Authority (NTA) to prioritise an early morning westbound rail service to Sligo as part of enhanced public transport investment.
Among the councillors is Leitrim Cllr Seán McGowan, who described the early morning service as “long overdue”
Cllr Seán McGowan, Cathaoirleach of Carrick-on-Shannon Municipal District, said: “I believe the provision of an early morning train service from Longford to Sligo is long overdue. I have been calling for such a service over the past number of years, a service which would arrive in Sligo before 9 am.”
The councillors have stressed that this is a regional issue rather than a single-county problem and improved rail connections would enable people to live in communities across the four counties while accessing jobs, education and public services in Sligo and elsewhere along the corridor.
Motions have been brought forward across the different municipal districts calling for improved rail services, with a particular focus on securing an early morning train from Longford into Sligo.
The group of councillors are now bringing these efforts together in a coordinated regional campaign to secure a commitment to delivery.
Research carried out by Atlantic Technological University researchers Holly Briere-Edney and Dr Brian McCann found that more than 47,000 people live within 5km of stations along the Sligo–Longford line. Of the 529 people surveyed, 90% said they would use a rail service arriving in Sligo before 9 am.
A separate ATU Students’ Union survey involving 1,701 students has also highlighted the accommodation pressures facing students and the importance of improving access to education through better public transport.
“Such an early morning Monday-to-Friday service would be a huge benefit to the many students from Longford, Leitrim, North Roscommon and South Sligo who attend ATU in Sligo. They would be able to commute on a daily basis, thus saving thousands of euros on accommodation over the years,” said Cllr McGowan.
“I know of parents who are car-pooling to bring their children to college in Sligo because accommodation is so expensive and hard to get.”
“Such a service would also benefit people who have early morning hospital appointments in Sligo University Hospital, people commuting to work in Sligo, and those travelling for shopping or visiting.”
“An early morning train would be good for the environment and would help reduce the number of cars on the roads leading into Sligo.”