Debate contribution: All-island Rail Network

Debate contribution by Mrs Deborah Erskine on 27 February 2024.

MLA

Mrs Deborah Erskine

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

27 February 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

All-island Rail Network

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4237693

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I also thank those who tabled the motion. I will forgive Mark Durkan for the puns during his speech; I did enjoy them. I thank those Members for pointing to an ambitious plan that will have a transformative impact and provide a sustainable and modern rail infrastructure that will help us to meet our net zero targets and will aid connectivity. I am making my comments in my capacity as DUP MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. We believe that the motion could and should go further. We need to ensure that there is expertise to deliver this project and adequate funding in place to deliver it. That will require UK Government input, given that the report on the Union connectivity review points to the need to increase the provision of rail network in Northern Ireland. With that in mind, it is important that the strategy that is developed between both regions matches up and is strategic. This motion is timely. As Members are aware, a public consultation on the draft report of the review was completed in 2023, and it is anticipated that the report will be presented to the Executive and the Irish Government for approval and publication in late spring 2024. Hopefully the Minister can add to that and confirm that that timescale is correct. In July 2023, the draft report of the all-island rail review was published. There were some 30 recommendations in it. The vision of the review set out six high-level goals: contributing to decarbonisation, improving all-island connectivity between major cities, ensuring regional accessibility, stimulating economic activity, encouraging sustainable mobility and achieving economic and financial feasibility. On 27 October 2022, the Infrastructure Minister welcomed progress on the rail review and noted that he had asked officials to explore funding opportunities for the feasibility studies into the following areas: a new rail line between Londonderry and Portadown; reopening the Knockmore line, with a connection to Belfast International Airport; electrification of the Belfast to Newry line; and better connections at the rail halt for Belfast City Airport. The recommendations that have been produced can be grouped into four categories: new lines, infrastructure enhancements to existing lines, new stations and frequency improvements on the lines. Those are all very noble and worthy recommendations, but where is Fermanagh? The county that I represent is set to miss out. At present, where Fermanagh is situated on the map, there is a blank space; there is not one dot of rail provision for Fermanagh in the all-island strategic rail review. My constituency includes one of the only counties in Northern Ireland and, indeed, the Republic of Ireland, that will lose out should the report still stand as it is after the consultation.

I am simply pointing out that I want to see Fermanagh included. That is important. I do not want to take away from it, but I think that all of us in the Chamber should agree, today, that every county in Northern Ireland should have rail provision. The report states:

"anticipated demand ... fell below the threshold for rail on some routes, such as from Clones to Sligo via Enniskillen".

Another section of the all-island strategic rail review report states:

"Given the relatively low population density and lack of larger towns across the region, the Review has found that expansion of rail is difficult to justify in much of the region within the horizon of the Review."

Thinking of Northern Ireland and the fact that one county is not included, that is totally disingenuous. I hope that every Member will reject that. To me, those comments say that my constituency is hard to reach and easy to forget about. We have talked about regional imbalance. Surely Fermanagh should be the starting point. There is not a single piece of rail track — I thank my constituency colleague Tom Elliott for pointing that out in his intervention — not to mention the fact that it will mean a gap of 30 years in infrastructure progression for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. It will mean that the local economy in my constituency will get left behind. I am not prepared to see that happen, and neither should anybody sitting in the Chamber or at the Executive table. True levelling up and true commitment to decarbonisation mean including every county in Northern Ireland. I and others from my area made the case for Fermanagh and South Tyrone in the public consultation. I pay tribute to organisations such as Into the West that have fought for many years to see rail brought to areas such as Fermanagh. In 2021, the capital costs of the review recommendations were estimated to be approximately £26·5 billion. If inflation indicators are applied, the costs could be in the region of £29·2 billion to £30·7 billion. The 'Union Connectivity Review: Final Report' of November 2021 notes the opportunity of the all-island strategic rail review and very clearly states:

"The UK Government should support the Northern Ireland Executive to deliver transport infrastructure recommendations resulting from this work."

I therefore believe that the inclusion of the UK Government in the motion would strengthen our case, particularly given the recommendations from the Union connectivity review, and recommendation 12 in particular, which states that the UK Government should:

"provide funding and major project expertise to the Northern Ireland Executive to support their work with the Republic of Ireland relating to the ... implementation".

We have the opportunity. When considering the transport needs of Northern Ireland, we have to give cognisance to the fact that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and that, as a result, a greater part of our economic activity is with the UK rather than the Republic. It is natural that the UK Government want to see levelling up in that regard. Furthermore, the UK Government contain Fermanagh in their plans. They see Enniskillen as a place of need for rail. The all-island strategic rail review and the Union connectivity review present a clear vision for better connectivity throughout the British Isles. Their full delivery stands to unlock opportunities for economic growth and job creation in our communities. We will work constructively with the Executive and the UK and Irish Governments to that end. We must have a robust plan in place for delivery. We have seen from the Northern Ireland Audit Office report and the failure to deliver key projects that there is an impetus to move away from the ideas phase and from aspiration to delivery. I commend our amendment to the Chamber.

1,093 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 09:40 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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