Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome additional funding for Iarnród Éireann and acknowledge the line from Sligo to Dublin has significant and serious issues. Mullingar commuters face significant challenges daily. This issue, however, specifically concerns Killucan train station. I was reading back and this issue was first raised in 2001. Much time has passed since then and various groups have brought this matter to the attention of different Ministers and Irish Rail. Deputy Penrose received a reply to a parliamentary question on this matter in 2015. It was stated an assessment was made that it would cost about €1.5 million to make the station operational again. I understand the station was closed in 1963 and signal functionality ended in 2005.

The local community has great interest in this project. It has been frequently raised with me. One critical aspect is a dual line across from the station. It is the only dual line all the way down from Enfield. The train stops roughly eight times a day at that location. Will the Minister agree to meet a delegation from that community? Requests have been sent to the Department over the years. I would also like to know if the Minister will ask Irish Rail if there might be any other avenues of funding that could be explored for regeneration.

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