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Issue No.12 Spring 2003
Cross-border
Railway
By Tarka King
As a boy much time was
spent underneath and inside the signal box at Glaslough railway station
in Co. Monaghan, as the girl whose duty it was to mind me was secretly
walking out with the signalman. Being of an impressionable age much was
observed concerning signals, maintenance of mechanical devices, regulations,
timekeeping and being prepared for the unexpected. There were ways of
warning the occupants of trains approaching from the north that the station
was stuffed with customs officials. When the GNR line was closed in 1957,
County Monaghan suffered it's second major economic setback with very
long-term implications. As one of the nine counties of Ulster it had been
somewhat economically cut adrift when partition came as, there being no
real national roads structure leading south, the one-hour rail link to
Belfast had benefited both commerce and the community.
Lifting the line was a punch in the guts that hurt everyone and the resulting
sense of isolation led to an atmosphere of despondency and depression-providing
fertile ground for the discontent which erupted into the following decades
of turbulence that have lingered on to the present day. The closure of
the rail link had bluntly symbolised the further declining interest concerning
the peoples of mid-Ulster by the Dublin and Belfast administrations. Even
now, after all the investment in Ireland by the EU, you have a county
that is deemed not worthy of a single mention in the all-Ireland tourist
guide of 2002. Over the past few years a motion to restore the Ulster
canal to use for tourism purposes has been pressed upon the authorities
that be.
The re-opening of the Shannon Erne link has proved that the time is right
for such ventures as the new demanding age of international tourism is
upon us. In the UK in 2000 the damage to the internal tourist industry
was the single most important factor driving the government to deal with
the foot and mouth crisis. Subsequently, a decision was made to invest
ST£500,000, gearing up and expanding the capacity of the internal
waterways network. The development of tourism on an all-island scale is
of paramount importance as it provides a vital diversification avenue
for those trapped in the rural sector.
However, to succeed in real terms, vigorous marketing relies on good transport
networks to avoid saturation points (Galway, Kerry) traffic congestion
(presently growing at an alarming rate) and wasted investment (northern
Ireland).The present acute shortage of visitors to Armagh City, which
enjoys no train service, is a case in point and illustrates much of what
is wanting .
The case for re-laying the track fromPortadown,Co.Armagh through Monaghan,
Clones Enniskillen to Sligo is a strong one as it would open up northern
Ireland to a travelling public that at present cannot get there in sufficient
numbers. From Sligo existing unused track leads all the way to Limerick
City. Restoring the Sligo-Portadown section would enable promotion of
a Larne-Limerick concept that would lead to further developments with
Scotland and the Western Isles. Strand Three of the Good Friday Agreement
sets out the British-Irish Council and part 5 of that body declares intent
to promote transport and cultural issues.
Looked at in context, the revival of the proposed rail link would provide
a transport artery right along the Celtic fringe of Ireland and Scotland
opening up a plethora of new tourist venues--Limerick to the Shankill.
To provide an extra aspect to the concept no harm would be done in taking
advantage of what lies in store in the Ulster Transport Museum. Introducing
the element of steam might just open up an entirely new catchment area,
as can be observed in Scotland, South Africa and India. Some of the locos
in store would have run on the line in the past and so the accuracy of
the historical revival factor remains intact.
As the European Union is about to enlarge and embrace a considerable number
of somewhat un-developed countries pressing new priorities will soon face
the funding bodies. The approach of final deadlines has been warned about
for some time while the general dearth of tourists in the province has
become a familiar news item.
Securing support for the track running through mid-Ulster to be re-established
is a vital necessity that cannot be overlooked. The engineering difficulties
are minimal and 90% of the bed undisturbed. Without this rail link there
is little prospect of any realistic tourism growth inside or around the
six counties and now is the moment to make the move.
The impact of re-establishing the Sligo-Portadown rail link should not
be overlooked as it would bring together the existing network of dog-legs
that straddle the 4 provinces and create a new ‘circut of Ireland’!
Overall investment is cheap when the social and economic implications
are considered as, in one move, primary education bodies are given a new
area to expand into and numerous under-developed regions are opened up
to the tourist industry.
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