Stormont’s track record makes ambitious rail network expansion …

NI Railways. Photo: JPress

The comments follow the presentation of the draft All-Island Strategic Rail Review (AISRR) to the Irish Government in Dublin on TuesdayAnnounced jointly by Stormont and Dublin in 2021, the report contains 30 recommendations on developing a rail network for the benefit of commuters, businesses and communities on both sides of the border – including the restoration of the Londonderry to Portadown railway line.According to the report, this would “link the large towns of Strabane, Omagh and Dungannon to the rail network” and “greatly improve intercity connectivity” from the north west to Belfast and Dublin.Other recommendations include reinstating the line from Portadown to Armagh and constructing an entire new line directly from Lisburn to Newry.A timeline of “the best part of 25 years” has been estimated to complete the recommendations at a cost between £29.2bn to £31.67bn.The report proposes Northern Ireland would take a 25% share of costs between the two countries.However, the NI Conservatives have said that, based on previous experience, the Northern Ireland Executive “do not have the determination to follow through with tough choices”.NIC deputy chair Barry Hetherington said: “They have wasted time and money on deciding not to transform our health system. They continue to waste money by not reforming our divided education system or our woefully slow justice system. Of course, they have also failed miserably on infrastructure to date”.The NIC also said: “The proposals however do not come without costs and the uncertainty of ‘experience over hope’. The estimated costs to Northern Ireland are in the region of £7.7 billion over 25 years. That is substantially more than Northern Ireland would expect to spend on road building over a similar time frame.”Added to a history of not fulfilling grand visions for infrastructure in the past, whilst these recommendations are welcomed the appetite to implement needs to be locked in at every level of governance in NI from Westminster down”.