Calls to reopen the Hill of Down train station

A CAMPAIGN is underway to persuade Irish Rail to reopen the Hill of Down railway station.

Cllr Joe Fox points out that the station, which is on the main Sligo to Dublin line just west of Enfield, has the potential to be a very busy stop.

“It would serve a large area including, Longwood, Ballivor and Kinnegad. There is a wide hinterland of commuter area around the Hill of Down making the stop very viable,” he said.

“There is no station between Enfield and Mullingar, so there is the potential for it to be very busy.

“With the Hill of Down on the Royal Canal Greenway, the railway station would have great tourism potential.”

Cllr Fox explains that he ensured that one of the objectives in the new county development plan, would be the provision of a park and ride facility at the Hill of Down.

“We really just want the train to stop at Hill of Down. The infrastructure is there. It is on the railway line.

“It was a hugely busy station year ago. In its heyday, it was one of the biggest stops for the cattle train from the west. The goods trains and passenger trains were also very busy. Shops and businesses in Longwood, Ballivor and Rathmolyon used to get deliveries there.

“The canal greenway has massive tourism potential and this would further enhance it.

“The stop would also serve Edenderry as well as opening up all of south Meath.

“In a time of climate crisis it makes sense to take more cars off the road by providing a stop here for commuters from a wide area.

“There is a lot of talk of the railway line to Navan, but this is a very simple measure that could easily be done and which would be a huge benefit to sustainable transport.

Cllr Fox welcomed Colm Markey MEP, a member of the European Parliaments Transport Committee, to the Hill of Down where he visited the old station.

The Hill of Down station closed to passengers in the 1947. Cllr Fox is also calling on Iarnrod Eireann to include Enfield in the metropolitan fare structure like Maynooth and to also provide free parking at the station to encourage more commuters to use the service.

“They have committed to electrifying the line to Maynooth and l will be pushing that this be extended to Kilcock and Enfield.

“These are climate friendly measures and reducing the fare structure for commuters from Enfield would also be a climate friendly measure encouraging more commuters to take the train.

“As it is, because Enfield is on the inter-city fare structure rather than the commuter structure, the fare from Enfield to Dublin is almost double the fare from Maynooth to Dublin,” he said.