Commuting on NI roads ‘draining and expensive’

For William Hutchinson of the Portadown-Armagh Railway Society (PARS) the Cathedral City’s inclusion in the All-Ireland Rail Review is promising but not a quick fix.

“The rail line here closed on the 1st October 1957 and it was a huge loss for the city,” he said.

“We’ve lobbied since 2014 to have the railway restored and that has progressed from the long term to the medium term.

“Now we would like to get it delivered in the short term.

In 10 years time I would like to see a railway just where I’m standing now.”

He said it is “great that Grand Central Station is opening”.

“We’re glad of the vision to open that huge hub,” he said.

“It’s going to have eight platforms, and we’re hoping that there’ll be a destination, a listing on that platform for the city of Armagh.

“It gives great opportunity for the people of Armagh to have that connectivity once again, and that people will have a better opportunity to work in Belfast.

“To get there early in the morning and to get home again at night.

It also brings brilliant opportunities for tourism to come back to the city.”