The £27 million North West Multimodal Transport Hub has been shortlisted for a major European award.

The project, which was completed during 2020, will compete for an EU REGIOSTARS Award.

The REGIOSTARS Awards are a yearly competition, organised by the European Commission's Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) and aim to identify good practices in regional development and highlighting innovative, EU-funded projects, which could be attractive and inspiring to other regions.

Welcoming the recognition, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said: "One of my clear priorities as Minister for Infrastructure is to address regional imbalance particularly in the North West which has suffered decades of underinvestment. I believe that we can connect our communities and deliver cleaner, greener, sustainable infrastructure through an increase in the use of public transport and especially by unlocking the potential our rail network can bring to our island. To do this successfully we need to invest in the right infrastructure and facilities and the innovative North West Hub is an excellent example of us doing just that. 

"By linking in the historic Waterside Station with Derry City's greenway network and connecting local communities, the Hub has further enhanced the passenger experience and allowed for improved co-ordination of services, as well as a Greenway link to the city centre via the iconic Peace Bridge. It will also offer further opportunities to drive continued growth in passenger numbers on the Derry line and enhance the tourism and economic potential of rail in the North West which I am committed to improving.

-- Advertisement --

"I am grateful for the support received through the EU INTERREG VA programme and believe that the North West Multimodal Transport Hub showcases the benefits of building strong collaborative cross border relationships across out island.

"I am therefore delighted that the North West Multimodal Transport Hub has deservedly been shortlisted for a prestigious REGIOSTARS Award and I would encourage the local community in the North-West and beyond to show their support by voting for the project within the Public Choice Award category."

This recognition comes after the project was recently nominated for the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) People's Choice Award 2021. 

Congratulating the project as well as outlining the significance of the nomination, Gina McIntyre Chief Executive of the SEUPB added: "I would like to congratulate all of the project partners involved in the delivery of this cross-border initiative. It is a fantastic achievement to be nominated for this highly prestigious and competitive award, which receives entries from all across Europe.

"Unfortunately, the Northwest Region of Northern Ireland has the highest levels of car commuting across the island of Ireland and this is primarily due to the limited integration of cross-border public transport; unless we provide an alternative to cars, there will be higher levels of pollution and damaging greenhouse gases.    

"The North West Transport Hub has been specifically designed to help address these issues and is one of the largest projects supported under the Sustainable Transport objective of the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme. It has radically improved the co-ordination between rail and local cross-border transport services and is actively encouraging many people to leave their cars at home

"I would therefore encourage everyone to recognise the achievements that have been made, to date, through this highly innovative project and cast their vote for it within the Public Choice Award category for REGIOSTARS 2021."

The North West Transport Hub has been shortlisted alongside four other projects under the category "Topic of the year: Enhancing Green Mobility in the Regions: European Year of Rail 2021". Additionally, the public can vote for the project within the category of the Public Choice Award where only the most voted project will win the Award. Voting for this Award is now open until 15 November 2021.

The REGIOSTARS 2021 category winners and the winner of the Public Choice Award will be announced on 02 December 2021.