Leonard challenges case against Killucan station

Cllr Denis Leonard has challenged the reasoning behind Iarnród Éireann’s reluctance to reopen Killucan railway station, accusing the company and the Dept of Transport of failing to adequately reflect population growth and commuter demand.

He was responding to a Dáil statement by Minister of State at the Dept of Transport Seán Canney, who said an assessment carried out by infrastructure consultancy AECOM did not support the immediate development of a station.

The 2024 study examined transport demand around Killucan, Kinnegad and Hill of Down, recommending enhanced bus provision. The department asked Iarnród Éireann in December 2025 to reconsider whether circumstances had changed, but it said there had been no material developments to alter its conclusions.

Cllr Leonard said he took issue with the response, particularly because Minister Canney had previously visited Killucan station with local representatives and agreed that a dedicated feasibility study was the best way forward.

“It seems to be a department response, in other words, the same response that’s been given for a long time,” said Cllr Leonard.

He questioned the methodology of the AECOM assessment, arguing that three potential station locations were compared against a bus service operating along the wider corridor. He said the study recorded 169 daily boardings for Killucan, which he believes demonstrates sufficient demand.

He also challenged the comparison between bus and rail journey times, saying a journey to Dublin by bus could take almost two hours, compared with approximately an hour by train.

He argued that the study had not properly accounted for commuters travelling from Castlepollard, Crookedwood, Delvin and Rochfortbridge, claiming around 8,000 people live within 5km of Killucan station. Planned housing would further increase the population.

He also pointed to European funding opportunities and questioned the suggestion that reopening the station would delay existing rail services. He said the site already had double track and would primarily require platform refurbishment and clearance of adjoining land, which could accommodate around 100 cars.

“There’s an awful lot of disingenuous kind of reporting going on from the department,” he said.

Cllr Leonard said Iarnród Éireann had shown little interest in leading the project and called for Westmeath County Council to push for a business case examining demographics, projected demand and journey times.

He said a detailed assessment was needed to establish how many people would use the train rather than continue travelling by road or bus.