[Article] Dunleer station is back on track

Bluetonic

Nice old train station, remember it from long before Dunleer was bypassed.

DUNLEER train station appears back on track after it was revealed that developers Dunleer Co-Ownership, which plans a e20 million town centre, has paid e2 million for access into its site from the station.

Louth TD Fergus O’Dowd said he welcomed ‘clarification’ that the reopening ‘will be part of the proposed housing development in Dunleer’.

Paul Connolly, spokesman for Dunleer Co-Ownership, told the Mid-Louth Independent the entire scheme aims to bring the station ‘back to the heart of Dunleer’.

Adding he wanted to ‘reassure’ locals, Mr Connolly said the development ‘will not clash with plans to reopen the train station.’

He hit back at claims that the development, which includes 11 multistorey residential, retail and office buildings, and a new public square, will jeopardise the reopening.

‘In fact the entire scheme has been designed with the aim of bringing the train station back to the heart of Dunleer,’ he said.

The scheme has been designed to provide facilities that would ‘complement any future reopening of the railway station,’ he added.

‘CIE has retained all of the land around the station. This scheme will not impact on any future plans by CIE to reopen the train station or to develop a car park adjacent to it.’

Cllr Ged Nash, Labour’s General Election candidate, remained unconvinced by Dunleer Co-Ownership’s plans. He said the planning application was ‘a Trojan horse for massive expansion of the village.’

Mr Connolly said they had consulted with local planners to ensure that the scheme fulfills the LAP’s aims.

‘The location of the scheme adjacent to the railway station would encourage use of train services rather than car-based transport.’

Dunleer Co-Ownership said significant improvements will be made to the current infrastructure to facilitate the reopening of the train station.

Station Road, which cuts through the scheme, will be doubled in width and will have pedestrian and cyclist friendly footpaths, providing a direct link between the station and Main Street.

Access to the station from Main Street and Barn Road will be facilitated through a number of new pedestrian access walkways and a footbridge across the River White.

Iarnród Éireann was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.

http://www.unison.ie/fingal_independent/stories.php3?ca=34&si=1761146&issue_id=15155

Slice

This is tripe. This is a non-story, it doesn't bring the train station any closer to being opened.

spacetweek

Slice wrote:

This is tripe. This is a non-story, it doesn't bring the train station any closer to being opened.

Yes, basically they're saying they aren't going to damage the station as part of their development. That's the least you could expect!