Armagh: The only city in Ireland without a railway

There is a renewed momentum in the campaign for Armagh city to have a rail connection more than 50 years after the line was closed.

Armagh is the only city on the island of Ireland with no rail link, with the nearest rail station located in Portadown, around 12 miles to the north.

The All-Island Strategic Rail Review, published in draft form in July 2023, recommends the reopening of the Portadown to Armagh railway line as part of a wider reconnection of the rail network to Monaghan and to Mullingar via Clones and Cavan.

Following the recommendation, a feasibility study on the prospective reopening of the Armagh-Portadown railway line, published by Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon Borough Council in November 2023, states that the reopening of the railway line would result in “shorter journey times between Armagh and Portadown, and Armagh and Belfast”.

The study further states that the reopening would result in a 10 per cent shift in sustainable trip-making, and indicates that the line could attract 670,000 journeys each year.

Although there are challenges with land use and ownership changes since the line was closed in 1957, the report states that no significant engineering or built-environment constraints to reinstating the former railway line were identified and there is clear evidence that the scheme is both technically deliverable and operationally feasible.

The study also claims that economic benefits to the reopening of the railway would “outweigh the investment and operating costs of the project”.

Responding to questions from Newry and Armagh MLA Justin McNulty, Minister for Infrastructure John O’Dowd MLA said that Translink is undertaking a feasibility study on reinstating the Portadown to Armagh railway line, and that the potential benefits of the restoration will be considered as part of the feasibility study, which is expected to be completed by spring 2025

Since the All Island Strategic Rail review has only been published in draft form, it is currently undergoing a consultation, meaning that the return of a prospective Armagh railway is not currently being treated as a “priority by the Executive.

However, Minister O’Dowd says that once the Rail Review is formally published: “Further work will be needed to prioritise the Review recommendations and then to undertake feasibility studies and develop business cases to support any future investment decisions, including those in relation to the Armagh to Portadown line.”

Broad analysis

The All-Island Strategic Rail Review’s proposals are broadly supported by politicians and civic leaders alike. In the north, the proposed rail projects which have received the most significant media attention have been those in Donegal, Derry, and proposed links to the Belfast International Airport.

The rail review’s inclusion of a recommendation for the construction of a railway line in Armagh underpins longstanding calls to rectify the situation whereby Armagh is the only city on the island of Ireland with no railway line. A similar case can be made on the absence of rail connections in County Fermanagh, a position which does not look set to change as the rail review makes no recommendations for rail connections in County Fermanagh.

Meanwhile, work is underway for the Belfast-Dublin Enterprise Service to become an hourly service, with an earlier start time. While this will be welcomed as Belfast and Dublin are the two most populous cities in Ireland, the fact that the priority for infrastructure investment does nothing to address economic regional imbalances, will be a point of contention for people who reside and work beyond the Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor.

MLA comment

William Irwin MLA, a DUP Newry and Armagh representative since 2007, answered questions from agendaNi on the prospect of the railway line re-opening

What benefits can the return of the rail service bring to the local area and the Northern Ireland as a whole?

With a very clear direction and growing emphasis on the climate and the environment, transport and emissions from journeys are a key discussion topic. It is therefore obvious that improving the public transport system in Northern Ireland will help to go some way to achieve the ambitious targets that have been set around reducing emissions. The rail link would of course contribute positively towards those goals.

What timeline do you envisage for the return of a rail service to Armagh?

Armagh city is the only city on the entire island without a rail link and I know that a lot of people are keen to see progress on this, not least the Portadown Armagh Railway Society (PARS) who have been keen lobbyists in this regard.

In terms of a timeline, that is a very key question and I know that our local Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council pursued a feasibility study in to the project with the help of AECOM, which has recently reported that the project is operationally feasible, technically deliverable and would promote sustainable transport across the borough and wider region. The issue of a timeline is something that is the subject of continuing discussion.

What are the main challenges in rebuilding this particular railway?

Costs are of course a major discussion point and whilst there are clear benefits to the project there are considerable hurdles also. Pushing the project forward and maintaining momentum is also very important. The Department for Infrastructure’s Transport Strategy for Northern Ireland is another key directional document, and it will be vital that this project places highly up the prioritisation list.

Is the Portadown-Armagh rail project being treated as a priority infrastructure project by the Executive?

The word ‘priority’ is a key word and a key requirement. In order for this project to have any chance of success, it must be seen as a priority for our devolved institutions to pave the way for the necessary resources to be allocated to make this happen. I will continue to play my part in lobbying this regard.