ICTU supports West on Track reopening argument from Mayo trades council

The Western Rail Corridor was a focus at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions' biennial conference yesterday, where a motion by Castlebar Trades Council for its reopening was unanimously agreed.

Said Donna Hyland, secretary of the Castlebar Trades Council: “I was delighted with the support our motion on the Western Rail Corridor received at the conference. This was the first time that the ICTU had formally adopted a motion in relation to the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor.

"After the motion was passed by delegates, the General Secretary of SIPTU, Joe Cunningham, credited Castlebar Trades Council and the speakers from the various unions for one of the ' most interesting contributions' of the day.”

Ms. Hyland added: “The Western Rail Corridor will not only be an amenity for west of Ireland tourism but it will be a key economic driver of our region. The social, environmental and economic value that the railway will bring will create stability for our region into the future.

"If we are to meet our climate action targets and to address regional imbalance, then we need to reopen the Western Rail Corridor as a vital piece of infrastructure for the people of the west and north-west of Ireland..

Bernie Ní Fhlatharta of the National Union of Journalists, speaking on the motion, said this was not an issue about a novelty train but a vital piece of infrastructure that would connect no less than five counties in the west of Ireland.

Public transport was a necessary option if the government expected people to reduce usage of private cars.

The Castlebar Trades Council speaks as a collective for trades unions in Mayo.