The Western Rail Trail Campaign has welcomed the response to an online petition urging the use of the closed railway route from Athenry to Sligo as a greenway, it has now hit 25,000 signatures.

The Western Rail Trail Campaign is an alliance of community groups in Galway, Mayo and Sligo campaigning to preserve the alignment of the closed rail line from Athenry to Collooney by utilising the route for tourism and leisure as a greenway until such time as a railway may be possible.

Brendan Quinn of the Western Rail Trail campaign is now asking all members of the negotiating teams for the new Government to take note of the level of public support that exists for this project, and to include it in the programme for Government. 

Speaking to Midwest News toady Brendan again  called for the release of the independent report and assessment of the closed railway by EY Consulting which was delivered to the Department of Transport in October 2019 at a cost of half a million Euro.  He said that the Department of Transport received over 200 Freedom of Information requests asking for the report, and about 20 TDs submitted Parliamentary Questions asking for the report at the end of last year to no avail, so far.