By Sabrina Sweeney
THE campaign to bring trains back to Donegal has made some progress in recent years, although the prospect of travelling by train still feels distant for most of us.
What has begun to gather momentum, however, is the economic argument for better transport connections in the north west.
The publication this week of a joint report from Ireland’s business representative group, Ibec, the Confederation of British Industry and recruitment firm Hays, is timely.
Just as campaigners press ministers in Dublin over a Derry–Letterkenny railway, the research points to the employment opportunities that better cross-border transport could create.
Rail campaigners have been making that economic argument for years. What is interesting now is that organisations whose focus is on recruitment and the needs of businesses are presenting evidence that supports it.
The report, ‘Tomorrow’s Talent’, draws on 1,211 responses from workers and employers across the island. Of employers surveyed, 51 per cent identified better transport links as a priority for cross-border working, while 69 per cent believed the skills they needed could be found on the other side of the border.
There was interest among workers too. Some 46 per cent said they would consider a job across the border, particularly for better pay or career opportunities. Separately, 59 per cent of respondents said they would be more likely to consider such work if it were easier to live in one jurisdiction and work in the other.
Among those reluctant or unsure, 55 per cent cited commuting costs and 27 per cent poor transport links. Tax and social security rules were another concern.
Transport is only part of the employment picture, but its prominence among employers’ priorities is striking. Although the survey is island-wide, the local figures tell their own story.
At the last census, 4,049 Donegal residents worked in Northern Ireland, including 2,821 in County Derry. Another 1,834 people living in the North worked in Donegal.
That shows that a substantial cross-border workforce already exists in the north west. The question is how much greater the opportunities might be if getting from one side to the other were easier.
The figures are not a forecast of how many passengers might use a railway, nor have the report’s authors endorsed the Derry–Letterkenny proposal. They do, however, strengthen the case for examining it properly.
Campaigners have been pressing that case in Dublin in recent months. The West Ulster Railway Initiative (WURI) met Minister of State for Transport Seán Canney in September, seeking recognition of the proposed line as critical infrastructure.
Into the West followed in October, meeting Canney and Donegal Minister Charlie McConalogue to press for funding for a detailed route study. Into the West has warned that without an agreed route, future developments could make a railway difficult or even impossible to build.
Studying the possible routes now seems a sensible precaution, whatever decision is eventually made about building the line.
There has been some support from Canney, although securing funding remains an obstacle. Following a meeting last November, WURI reported that he had agreed to approach Northern Ireland’s infrastructure minister about jointly funding a full feasibility and route study. Almost a year later, campaigners are still seeking that commitment.
The financial situation in the North and political tensions at Stormont don’t help. Stormont has yet to agree its 2026–27 budget amid disagreements with Westminster over funding, leaving departments under considerable pressure. Finding money for a study of a longer-term railway proposal is unlikely to be straightforward.
The proposal has, at least, secured a place in government plans. The 2024 All-Island Strategic Rail Review recommended a Derry–Letterkenny connection, and last December’s prioritisation strategy included the wider corridor among longer-term projects.
Connection
Northern Ireland has also allocated £1 million towards further rail-route assessment, including consideration of a Letterkenny connection.
Yet June’s €230 million Shared Island rail package provided for improvements on existing routes, including Coleraine–Derry, without a dedicated allocation for the Letterkenny link and the specific cross-border study campaigners are requesting remains unfunded.
The Ibec report cannot establish whether a Derry–Letterkenny railway would be viable. Costs, passenger demand and the route itself all need proper examination.
But it undoubtedly strengthens the economic case for better transport links and gives both governments further reason to fund a detailed study of the proposed railway.
