The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, will commission a new study today on reopening the western rail corridor between Cork and Sligo.
The Minister's announcement, which he will make in Mayo, represents his first formal rejection of the Government's Strategic Rail Review. This review concluded last year that the western rail link would not be viable, at an estimated cost of over €570 million.
The Minister has made it clear that he does not support this view, but he has stopped short of sanctioning the required expenditure.
He says the priority should be developing a commuter rail link between Tuam, Athenry and Galway city, an initiative already earmarked in Galway city and county development plans.
The West on Track campaign believes the corridor could be re- opened at a cost of €250 million. It makes the case for this in a report presented to the Minister.
