In May 2003, the West-On-Track campaign was established with the aim of re-opening the Western Rail Corridor, which formerly connected Sligo to Limerick.
The first phase of what the group hope will be the complete restoration of the entire route linked Ennis and Athenry in 2010.
But with doubts over when, if ever, the remaining portions of the route, particularly that from Claremorris to Collooney, will be restored a group called Sligo-Mayo Greenway are campaigning for the establishment of a “greenway”, a cycling/ walking track on the route of the old railway line from Claremorris to Collooney.
They say they are not against the restoration of the railway line but argue that if that is to be 30 years or more it makes more sense to use it as a greenway in the meantime and that it would preserve the route if a decision was ever made to restore the railway.
But West-On-Track fear that building a greenway on the line will signal the end of the railway restoration.
Over the past couple of weeks Sligo-Mayo Greenway have drawn attention to comments by Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Transport Minister Paschal Donohue, which they say make it clear that the rail line will never be restored to Sligo.
For a full in-depth look at the Western rail corridor see this week’s Sligo Weekender.
