Fears that Navan rail project has been 'secretly scrapped'

Fears that the Navan rail line has "been secretly scrapped" have been voiced by councillors who believe a document seen at a special county council planning meeting on Monday has given the strongest indication yet that the axe is about to fall on the project. The news came in a letter from Michael MacAree, head of integrated planning at the new National Transport Authority, which was circulated to councillors during a discussion on public transport proposals for Navan. In the letter Mr MacAree said: "Given the current economic situation, it is unlikely that Navan rail line project will be delivered in the timescale of the Development Plan (2015)." Cllr Shane Cassells has now called for Deputy Damien English and the government to come clean on the Navan line and announce whether it has already been secretly 'scrapped' by Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar. "It is now beginning to look deadly ominous for us here in Navan. I am appealing to this new government not to break the promise made by Damien English to deliver this line to the people of Meath," he said. The Navan area and town councillors had met on Monday morning to finalise details of their own development plan which would facilitate the lodging of the planning permission for the line in September. In the course of their discussions, the letter from the NTA came to light. Mr MacAcree is quoted in the letter as saying that: "At present, a rail order is being prepared for the Navan rail line which will be submitted to the NTA for funding approval. When the proposed rail order is received, the NTA will make its determination in this regard." Cllr Cassells said the funds for the planning process had been put in place by Fianna Fail under the revised spending plan published last year. "It really defies belief and looks as if the power brokers in Fine Gael, who are all based in Dublin, will protect their pet projects and we will be dropped off the list," he claimed. "As Minister Varadkar has refused to meet us, I would plead with Deputy English to make the case for us here in Navan. In any review, it is all about priorities and I would hope that Navan will still be on that list published by the government," he said. Cllr Joe Reilly said after the meeting that he was very concerned there would be no funds available for the project, despite all the work that has gone into it. He said the railway line was crucial for Navan and Minister Varadkar had to make a decision. Deputy Damien English said the people had been misled by the previous government who kept making announcements about the rail line, but never put the money in place. He said the current Minister was looking at all the projects that had been announced and will look at the priorities, including those that will have to go ahead now, those which will go ahead in a year or two and those that will have to be scrapped altogether. "Until this review is finished, we don't know whether the project will be delayed or not. The State finances are in a terrible state, but the case for the railway line to Navan is very strong and I hope it will be successful," he added.