Councillors unite to call for an early morning westbound rail service
Irish Rail
Councillors from Sligo, Leitrim, Longford and Roscommon are joining together to call on the Minister for Transport and Iarnród Éireann to prioritise an early morning westbound rail service to Sligo as part of enhanced public transport funding.
The councillors say there is now a clear regional case for the service, with strong evidence of demand from commuters, students and communities along the Sligo–Longford rail corridor.
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 9am.
Cllr Sean Moylan said: “We in Roscommon, especially in the north of the county are very lucky to have Sligo, a good busy regional town, with a large amount of employment, and both a University College and Hospital on our doorstep.
“As you move north in County Roscommon, Sligo University Hospital is the main port of call for hospital appointments of every description. Also, a large amount of workers and many many students in our part of the county, commute on a daily basis to Sligo for work and study.
“An early service to Sligo would open up this whole region to commute to college , work etc, with the added benefits of taking early morning traffic off the already congested N4, and also ease housing pressures in Sligo while making towns like Boyle and its hinterland a much more desirable place to live.”
The councillors are calling on Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien, Iarnród Éireann and the National Transport Authority to prioritise the proposed service and establish the funding and operational requirements for its introduction.
The proposed service would provide an early morning westbound connection through Longford, Dromod/Carrick-on-Shannon, Boyle and Ballymote into Sligo, supporting access to employment, education and essential services.
The councillors said that the proposal is particularly important given the role of Sligo as a regional centre for employment, education, healthcare and public services, including Atlantic Technological University.
