Rail Network
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-15
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Albert Dolan (FF), Galway East

I really appreciate the update and the fact that it is being looked at and that a team has been appointed to design a preferred option. However, I have to re-emphasise that Athenry is a town with a population of over 5,000 and currently has 200 homes under construction across four different sites. Things are going great for the town. Jobs are coming but that access to Galway city is vital but right now a town with over 5,000 people has no bus service. Our trains are completely wedged in the morning. I know that the trains and carriages are on their way but they cannot come quickly enough. The people are crying out for them and they want to see this happen. The double tracking is critical because that would enable a direct commuter link from Athenry to Galway city. The passing loop at Woodlawn as per the sectoral plan is vital as well because that would drastically reduce intercity times. All of this is progress but the Minister of State has to understand how serious it is right now in Athenry. There has been no bus service for over a year and trains are completely wedged.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-15/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:30+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-15