Off track... Railway Order timeline for Navan Rail line moved out to 2027

Iarnród Éireann bosses have confirmed that the Railway Order for the Navan Rail line will now be submitted by the end of 2027, and not in 2026 as previously committed.

Sinn Fein's spokesperson on Transport Darren O'Rourke described the news as "a setback for the project and for the people of Meath. It is very disappointing."

Speaking following an exchange with the CEO of Iarnród Éireann at the Oireachtas Transport Committee last Friday (31st October), Deputy O’Rourke said:

"The confirmation from Mary Considine, CEO of Iarnród Éireann, that the Railway Order for the Navan Rail line will now be submitted by the end of 2027, and not in 2026 as previously committed, is a setback for the project and for the people of Meath. It is very disappointing.

In January 2024, the Oireachtas Committee was told by Paul Hendrick, Director of Capital Investment with Iarnród Éireann that the Railway Order would be submitted in the calendar year 2026.

"This slippage is deeply frustrating and undermines public confidence." said Deputy O'Rourke.

"While Iarnród Éireann states that physical works are slated to begin from 2030, as per the current strategy, any delay at the initial planning and approval stage risks creating a domino effect, pushing the entire project further into the future. Our concern is that after the long-awaited Railway Order is finally secured, there could be a further period of downtime before construction begins due to funding or prioritisation issues.

"Sinn Féin is fully committed to the delivery of the Navan Rail line. It is an essential piece of public transport infrastructure that is critical to addressing congestion, supporting sustainable development, and connecting County Meath properly with the capital and elsewhere.

"We need to see urgency and momentum from the Government and state agencies. I have called on Iarnród Éireann to take every possible step to shorten these timelines. Furthermore, it is imperative that the Government provides the necessary multi-annual capital funding in the forthcoming revised National Development Plan to ensure that once the Railway Order is granted, this project can proceed directly to construction without any further delay.

"The people of Meath have waited long enough. Sinn Féin will continue to hold the Government and Iarnród Éireann to account to ensure the Navan Rail line is delivered in the quickest possible timeframe."