McGreehan urges major rail investment in Louth as all-island review unveiled

Louth Fianna Fáil TD Erin McGreehan has welcomed the publication of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, calling it a chance  to transform transport, reduce carbon emissions, and better connect communities across the island.

Deputy McGreehan praised the comprehensive nature of the review, which includes 32 recommendations focused on modernising and expanding the island's rail network. Among the key goals are faster trains, new and reopened lines, and a projected tripling of rail journeys by 2050. Central to this vision is the ambition to decarbonise rail transport, particularly along the Belfast–Dublin corridor.

“Louth occupies a unique and pivotal position in the conversation,” McGreehan told the Dáil. “We are the bridge between Belfast and Dublin, and the gateway to the northeast."

Highlighting the population boom in Drogheda and in Dundalk and Mid-Louth areas like Dunleer, McGreehan pointed to the clear need for additional services, rolling stock, and new stations.

She noted that demand for the Enterprise service between Dublin and Belfast has outstripped capacity, leaving many passengers standing on packed trains. “The Enterprise service has been increased and is so much of a success that we need more services and more carriages on the line because there is standing room only in the trains,” she said.

McGreehan called on the Department of Transport and Iarnród Éireann to prioritise investment in Louth, including reopening the station at Dunleer and developing a new station in north Drogheda, where thousands of new homes are already being built.

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“It is also time to make sure we have footprint stations and extra stations in the county. The growth in north Drogheda means there are thousands of new homes and thousands more people in the area. 

“They need to be able to access rail easier. There is potential to open the line at Dunleer and open a new train station in north Drogheda. We need an extra station in Louth given the growth in the population growth and the importance of the county,” she said.