Members of the public have been invited to help shape the future of rail across the whole island of Ireland.

A public consultation has launched as part of the all-island Strategic Rail Review, encouraging views to help develop the rail network across Ireland.

Northern Ireland Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon and Irish Transport Minister Eamon Ryan welcomed the consultation and urged those interested to make their voices heard.

Minister Mallon said: "Since coming into office, I have been clear that it is my priority to address regional imbalance, tackle the climate crisis and better connect communities across Ireland. I have huge ambitions for our all island rail network and I believe it has massive untapped potential to deliver multiple benefits across our island.   

"The All-Island Strategic Rail Review will allow us to consider our network across this island to view how we can improve it for everyone. I am delighted today, along with my colleague in the South Minister Eamon Ryan, to launch a public consultation to seek views from communities and stakeholders across this island on their vision for our rail network. 

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"There are real opportunities for communities across the island and significant benefits that better connections could bring not just to people but also for our environment and economy. 

"This is an ambitious piece of work that will help inform our decision making and investment in our rail network for years to come so I would encourage everyone to get involved with the process and put forward their views. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of connectivity across Ireland and I'm looking forward to hearing from communities across our island on what we can do together to deliver lasting change across our country."

Minister Ryan added: "I'm delighted to launch this public consultation on the future of rail on the island of Ireland. We want to hear people's views on how rail can support social and economic development across the island, enhance regional accessibility and improve connectivity between our major cities. I would encourage all interested parties to participate in shaping the outcome of this important review."

The public consultation can be accessed here and will close to submissions at 5pm on 21 January 2022.