Opinion by Ultan Keady

Over the last 50 years, the growth of Galway city, the regional capital of the West of Ireland, has been remarkable. A major centre for FDI investment, it now has three times the population it had in 1972, its cohort of third level students is six times greater than in the 1990s and it is the acknowledged tourism capital of the West.

Unfortunately, poor planning and a serious shortfall in the provision of the vital infrastructure needed to sustain and enable further growth have hampered the expansion of the city further.

Nothing illustrates this better than Galway’s traffic crisis.

In 2024, Inrix’s annual Global Traffic Scorebord rated Galway as the ninth most congested city in Europe. Tellingly, locations such as Two Mile Ditch, Ballindooley, Bothar na dTreabh, the N83, the N84, and the M6 feature daily on national traffic bulletins.

Galway is a victim of its own success.

Various unsuccessful attempts have been made to alleviate the issue; roundabouts installed, then removed for traffic lights, extra lanes on approach roads, provision of limited bus lanes etc. but to little effect.

As projects such as Gluas and the outer ring road are still being considered, the fully intact railway north of Athenry will also play a key part in reducing congestion in Galway by connecting every main provincial town in Connacht to the city centre. Critically, it can be open and carrying passengers by 2029.

While it is clear that improved road infrastructure is crucial for the future growth of the city, planning has been ongoing for the Galway City Bypass for more than 25 years with the project mired in objections, delays and legal challenges.

A total of €45 million has already been spent on the project but not one shovel has been place in the ground.

Thankfully, however, there are positive developments on the rail front.

Galway’s Ceannt station is uniquely well positioned close to the cultural, tourism and educational amenities in the heart of the city. Work is now well advanced on the major expansion of the station to a five-platform modern railway terminus.

As the city grows, this will provide the infrastructure required to handle greater numbers of commuters, services and new routes.

Construction of a second platform and passing loop in Oranmore is about to get under way. This will double the capacity of the Athenry-Galway line while double tracking of the entire section is likely within the next ten years.

And people are already voting with their feet.

The latest railway census shows that railway stations in Galway city and county cater for 10,000 journeys daily. This has grown by 50% in the last three years.

In 2022, the city’s connection with Limerick which reopened in 2010, was the fastest growing route on Irish Rail’s network and is now approaching 750,000 passengers annually.

That route was recently described by Irish Rail CE Jim Meade as being “at capacity”. A review is currently under way to ascertain how best to increase capacity on the route. Plans include longer platforms, newer and bigger trains and enhanced line capacity to carry more services.

North of Athenry, lies the currently closed railway to Sligo. Fortunately, because this route is in the sole ownership of Iarnród Éireann, reopening the line to connect Tuam, the largest town in County Galway, and most of the other main towns in Connacht to Galway City Centre will be relatively straightforward, with no need for CPOs etc.

The success of the Galway-Limerick route proves that when rail services are put in place they will be used. Oranmore station, which opened in 2013, demonstrates that the appetite is there for Park & Ride with passenger numbers increasing by 1100% in the last ten years.

Establishing similar rail facilities just off the N17 in Milltown and at the N63 near Ballyglunin will take commuters off the already crowded road network before they reach the first of the morning tailbacks.

New rail services will offer sustainable choices to commuters while relieving the pressure on those needing to drive. The N17 north of Tuam has seen a 47% increase in traffic in the last ten years.

At the same time, a single full Inter City train can displace close to 275 cars. Less cars means less congestion on the approach to Galway and safer driving conditions. (Rail as a commuting option is nearly thirty times safer than road transport.)

Following the publication of the revised NDP, it is now vital that the next phase of the Western Rail Corridor project commences without delay. The whole project will happen inside Irish Rail’s fence line meaning that commuters from Mayo and Tuam can be on the train to Galway City in less than four years.

The reopening of the railway will help reduce congestion on the approaches to Galway and will offer hard-pressed commuters a sustainable alternative to tailbacks and gridlock.

In time too, passengers will be able to seamlessly complete their journey from Ceannt Station on the Gluas tram system, just as commuters do on the LUAS from Heuston Station to the city centre.

As can be seen in the east of the country, the provision of good rail services is a key element in regional development and economic growth and similar projects linking Galway to Limerick and Cork to Midleton have proven hugely successful and popular with the public.

Galway City remains the beating heart of the economy in the west of Ireland but ensuring its continued growth requires urgent investment in modern infrastructure. In the short-term, the railway north of Athenry can be operational by 2029.

Restoring rail access from Tuam, Mayo and Sligo to the city centre will help remove much of the present congestion at source. Now is the time to push the button on Galway’s “quick win” and address its ongoing congestion and transport deficit.

It’s time to take the train.

Ultan Keady is an advocate for balanced regional development and better transport links, focusing particularly on rail. Ultan, from Caherlistrane, has written extensively on the subject in local and national media.

Pictured: Oranmore train station…new era.