A fresh call has been made for Irish Rail to re-open Dunleer train station.
The demand came from mid-louth councillor Dolores Minogue who said such a move should be a priority for the area.
If Dunleer station was back in operation it would also take the pressure off Drogheda which sees huge traffic jams on the Dublin road every day with commuters going to and from McBride station.
It would also make life much easier for commuters in mid-Louth who would not have to travel by car to Drogheda or Dundalk to get to either Dublin or Belfast.
Cllr Minogue asked why there has been no serious movement on re-opening Dunleer.
She pointed out that Irish Rail had no issue re-opening its Woodbrook Station in South County Dublin.
Local Irish Rail management in Louth have also privately admitted it would not cost much to re-open Dunleer compared to building a whole new train station.
She said:’ I welcome the reopening of Woodbrook Station on August 10 which will serve the growing communities in Woodbrook and Shanganagh.
Its encouraging to see continued investment in rail infrastructure with Woodbrook becoming the 147th station on the network funded by the Dept of Transport via the National Transport Authority.
“However this raises a clear and pressing question for our own community in Dunleer. Why is there still no serious movement on the long-overdue reopening of Dunleer Railway Station?
“Dunleer is a large and growing town with a strong commuter population. Trains pass through the town every day without stopping, despite increasing demand for public transport options and our community’s continued calls for progress.
“Let this be the moment we stop getting passed over and start getting answers.”
She called for a meeting to be held between Irish Rail and the National Transport Authority to take place plus a timeline and feasibility study be put in place to reopen Dunleer Train Station.
