Rail link to Eglinton would be 'very costly'

Thus said Transport Minister Conor Murphy during a debate at the Stormont Assembly when he all but ruled out the prospect of a rail halt at Eglinton for the foreseeable future.

DUP MLA Gregory Campbell asked the Minister if he agreed direct rail links to terminals at Eglinton, Belfast International and Belfast City would reduce "over-reliance on private cars and increase use of public transportation."

The Minister replied: "I certainly think that it would enhance the airports. I have no dispute with that. Of course, as the Member will probably know from his time in the Department that I now head up, it is very costly to bring rail halts to airports.

"Investment in railways generally is a very costly form of public transport. We need to be sure that, given the competing demands for a range of transport initiatives, including initiatives for some of the very busy lines and for investing, as the Member will be aware, in the Derry line and making sure that we improve that service, we judge the competing projects and challenges in the face of reduced public finances to ensure that we get best value for money.

"Although I do not doubt that rail links to the airports would enhance them, such links are costly and have to be measured against the destinations from which the vast majority of customers travel to the airports concerned and against other competing public transport demands."