March planned to highlight need for Navan rail line

The ‘Meath on Track’ campaign is planning a protest in Navan on 18th September to keep pressure on the government to deliver a rail line to Navan.

Cllr Emer Tóibín, has stressed the need to show the ongoing grassroots support for the rail line extension to Navan and to keep the pressure on the government and the NTA at this important juncture of the decision-making process.

“It is testament to our community wide campaign and the grassroots efforts of the people of Meath, that the National Transport Authority is finally publishing the findings of its feasibility and viability assessment of the need for the rail line extension to Navan.

“Meath is at the heart of the commuter belt, and the only county in the entire country where more people leave the county for work every day than stay in the county.

“The need for the rail line to be extended from the M3 Parkway to Navan has been apparent for years at this point, as evidenced by the daily struggle of commuters to keep their journey to work under four or five hours every day.

“This torturous and unacceptable commute time can only go one way as our substantial and growing population grapples with inadequate services. Navan is the largest town in Ireland without a rail line. The neglect our county and its citizens have endured has reached a tipping point.

“Our community-wide and cross party gathering on 18th September’s ‘Meath on Track’ protest will show that Meath is not willing to be passed over again when it comes to public transport.”

Cllr Tóibín said we need the students, workers, families, community activists and businesses to get behind this protest.

“The Government has neglected Meath for long enough! This rail line will improve our economy, our quality of life, and help us achieve our environmental goals. Carbon emissions per person are reduced by more than 80 per cent when commuting by rail transport as opposed to private cars.

“We are calling upon the people of Meath to come out in support of the ‘Meath On Track’ campaign on 18th September in Navan and send a clear message to the Government and NTA to get Meath on track,” she said.