Nenagh Cathaoirleach to raise local rail campaign at Southern Regional Assembly

The hub of the town is moving towards Nenagh railway station, the Cathaoirleach of Nenagh Municipal District Council, Cllr Michael O’Meara has said.

Speaking to members of the North Tipperary Community Rail Partnership at the station, Cllr O’Meara said that, between the proposed sustainable technology centre at Martyr’s Road, and plans to create a transport hub at the station under the Nenagh

Traffic Management Plan, “that will increase the footfall down here”

Cllr O'Meara said that Nenagh was in a “unique position” for public transport development being so near to Limerick.

The Lowry Team member, who is a member of the Southern Regional Assembly, which comprises councillors from Munster, said that it was revealed at the last assembly meeting that under the European Transport Hub, “huge money” was going into rail transport and getting people out of cars.

There was also funding coming through Active Travel for greenways, cycle routes and walkways, in the first instance.

“The money is unbelievable,” he said.

The second change coming under Active Travel was funding modes of transport to get people out of cars and on to public transport.

Cllr O’Meara, who raised the Ballybrophy line at the Southern Regional Assembly, said that he had got good support from the likes of Cllr Noel Coonan, Cllr Siobhán Ambrose and Cllr Michael Murphy.

Members from outside Tipperary had told the assembly it was something we are all going to have to face.

He said that one of the barriers to local commuter rail services being put forward was that the station in Limerick was "on the wrong side of the city".

“There is a need for a spur to Plassey and University of Limerick,” he said, with a possible station serving Castletroy.

The Cathaoirleach said that there was a need for a meeting with their council counterparts in Limerick and to ask them to come on board in developing the line to its maximum potential.

Rail partnership chair Virginia O'Dowd, who met Cllr O’Meara along with Edward Kelly, said that the partnership had met Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and he had stated that he would like to see more new stations developed in Limerick, including one at Annacotty or Lisnagry which would feed into UL, the industrial zone and the massive amount of residential development in that area.

These new stations would all include a park and ride facility.

Cllr O’Meara said that it has been proposed by Southern Regional Assembly chief executive David Kelly that he (Cllr O'Meara), its chair Cllr Pip Breen, and an executive officer arrange to meet on the issue.