Hundreds of people have turned out to events organised by a rail campaign group aiming to bring train travel back to Co Tyrone.
The ambitious plans are being proposed by campaign group Into the West ahead of the release of a cross-border All Island Strategic Rail Review in the new year.
They include its main priority of reintroducing a North West Rail Corridor - connecting Derry with Portadown and stops in Strabane, Omagh and Dungannon.
READ MORE: The past, present and future of rail travel in Tyrone and Fermanagh
Meetings are being held across the main towns proposed for the new line, with local representatives and members of the public contributing to the discussion and the potential return of rail.
Speaking at Monday evening’s event in Dungannon, Into the West founder Steve Bradley said he has been delighted with the turnout to the events.
“We’re really impressed with the turnout at these events, before them we were wondering if people are going to turn up and are they going to care and the answer is definitely yes,” Steve told MyTyrone.
“We’ve had a lot of energy and a lot of great questions - people are genuinely interested about bringing rail back to Dungannon and other areas of Tyrone.
“The old excuses of people not living in these areas doesn’t wash any more, and when they look at a rail map and see that massive hole in the north west corner, they’re not prepared to accept that any more.”
Monday’s meeting heard of a similar campaign which was fought in a rural area of Scotland which was able to bring railways back to towns of a smaller size than those in Tyrone - one which succeeded and since being built demand has exceeded projections.
The meeting also heard from a campaign group who had successfully lobbied Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon council to spend £50,000 on a feasibility study to extend the Portadown train line to Armagh.
Steve added the drive to bring rail infrastructure back to Co Tyrone after it was dismantled in the 1950s and 1960s has become much stronger in the last five years.
“I’m not exactly sure why that is but I suspect it’s a lot of small things which have added up,” he said.
“I think the climate change element is a big one, even 10 years ago there may have been a bit of doubt about the extent to which climate change was happening.
“Now that argument is won, and young people are now wanting choices and not feeling like they have to have a car.
“A lot of people moved back to this area after Covid having lived in England or continental Europe and they’ve seen how things are there and are asking questions about why it can’t be done here.
“I think people in the West now are less prepared to put up with being disconnected. We need to ensure all parts of Northern Ireland have great towns and great cities, and not just pour everything into Belfast.”
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