An alternative to the A5 road scheme has been presented with the 'Tyrone railroad' from Dungannon to Londonderry proposed to provide a sustainable alternative to the proposed A5 western transport corridor.

That was the message from those opposed to the A5 plans and local railway enthusiasts at a recent public meeting held in Dungannon.

The meeting was told that a railway would provide a more cost-effective transport solution in the west when coupled with an upgrade to the existing A5.

Last year, the Department of Regional Development announced a number of preferred routes for a proposed A5 Western Transport Corridor (A5WTC).

It would be the longest single roads project ever undertaken in Northern Ireland and is expected to cost upwards of £1billion.

The Irish Government have pledged a contribution of £400m to help fund major roads programmes in Northern Ireland, including the A5WTC.

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But a representative of Lord Laird of Artigarvan, who has been lobbying for a return of the railway, environmentalist Brian Guckian told the meeting: "We believe that the railway would be a practical sustainable alternative to the proposed A5 western corridor.

"To reopen the railway between Portadown to Strabane would cost around £320 million. To connect Dungannon and Portadown would cost just £25million.

"If the railway were to reopen, it would only need to be a single track and a small platform at stations."

And Mr Guckian said that it must not be assumed that the new A5 road would go ahead: "There is a myth that is propagated that rail isn't viable but the truth is that the benefits would far outweigh the cost," he said. "We strongly believe that this is a winnable campaign."

The meeting was also addressed by members of the Alternative A5 Alliance, an umbrella group set up to combine efforts to oppose the proposed A5 corridor.

Their chairman, former school principal John Dunbar, from Newtownstewart said that the railway was just one part of their proposed alternative.

Said Mr Dunbar: "We believe that the existing A5 should be improved making it two plus one lanes the whole way and various other improvements such as fly overs and tail-ins.

"To place four extra lanes parallel to the current road just isn't sustainable."

Denice Corbett, Green Party representative for Tyrone and Fermanagh, who chaired the meeting, said that reopening the railway must be considered to help reduce carbon emissions."

(BMcC/GK)