Feedback on the findings of a feasibility study on the reinstatement of the Portadown to Armagh railway line is expected to be published in the coming weeks.
Funding for the £800,000 feasibility study was announced in December 2023 following a successful technical study the previous year.
However, members of Portadown Armagh Railway Society have been campaigning for the reinstatement of the line for more than a decade.
Restoration of the Portadown to Armagh railway line was then recommended in the new All-Island Strategic Rail Review and plans were moved forward following publication of the Final Report in July 2024.
The final report of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review contains a total of 32 proposals across the island – including direct links to Belfast International Airport in the next six years.
The most significant local recommendation is the adjustment of the timeline to bring forward the reinstatement of railway between Portadown and Armagh from a long-term to a medium-term horizon.
The recommendation also includes a further extension from Armagh to Monaghan, all the way to Mullingar, via Clones and Cavan.
Also, there are proposals to include a new train station in Craigavon.
This means the project has an anticipated delivery date of between 2030 and 2040, with long-term projects earmarked for the following decade.
The Report estimates that the capital cost of implementing all of the recommendations by 2050 is in the order of €35bn-€37 billion/£29-£31 billion in 2023 prices, and that the monetised benefits to society from such investment would cover the costs, meeting the goal of economic feasibility.
Armagh Newry Newry MLA Justin McNulty recently asked the Minister for Infrastructure, Liz Kimmins for an update into the findings of the £800,000 feasibility study which concluded in March of this year.
The Minister responded to say that the study’s findings will be made public in the very near future, stating: “Translink has submitted the Portadown to Armagh feasibility study to my Department.
“This is currently under consideration and I expect to publish the outcomes later in the Autumn.”
