Louth's Minogue says omission of Dunleer in rail review a 'missed opportunity'

Ardee's Cllr Dolores Minogue has said that not including the reopening of the Dunleer Train Station in the Final Report of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review is "a missed opportunity" and said its reopening would greatly benefit the community and boost the local economy.

Cllr Minogue was commenting following the publication of the Final Report of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, which was published today. Included in the report are recommendations that could see, if implemented, Dundalk seeing the benefit of new 200kmh (125mph) intercity trains between Dublin and Belfast, as well as train services at least hourly between cities and at least every two hours on regional/rural routes.

While the reopening of Dunleer Train Station is not specifically mentioned in the report, there are still hopes that it has not been ruled out. Commenting on the publication of the report, Cllr Minogue told the Dundalk Democrat that, "I welcome this announcement and its potential benefits for the country.

"However, as an active councillor who has consistently advocated for the reopening of Dunleer railway, I believe it is a significant missed opportunity not to include Dunleer in this review. I hope it is not too late to rectify this and include our area in this important review.

"Reopening Dunleer station would be a significant day for the people of Ardee, Mid Louth, and surrounding areas, facilitating travel to work, college, hospital appointments, and day trips. This would greatly benefit our community and boost the local economy."