For a little over 100 years the Great Northern Railway provided easy transport to those in Co Tyrone and Co Fermanagh but for now rail connectivity in both counties is only a distant memory for a select few.
After the stations and rail lines which connected the west were stripped away in the 1950s and 1960s, both counties were left without a functioning train station.
While car travel improved to an extent during that time, there are still many in Omagh, Enniskillen, Dungannon and Lisnaskea who long for a return to the days of hopping on the train.
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Now, with an all-island strategic rail review being announced by infrastructure ministers for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the possibility of the reintroduction of rail to and from the North West has raised its head again.
Paddy Hunter from the Omagh Railway Heritage group said the origin of the network in the North West initially focused on the transport of goods rather than people.
He said: “From the 1860s onwards the railway edged its way this direction from Belfast, with the first line into Omagh at the market yard, which was very goods focused.
“It evolved then into a transport hub for people as well. By the time the 1870s came around there were two stations in Omagh, one for goods and one for people up on the Dromore Road.
“The line would have gone then from Omagh to Enniskillen, and then on to Bundoran and the natural progression was on to Sligo then.
A single track bridge on the River Camowen between the townlands of Edenderry and Donaghanie, just 3 miles east of Omagh.
“It was a slow evolving thing but it became the biggest transport hub for the whole community at that time.
With the effects of partition and then the Troubles, the rail network of the north west fell by the wayside, leaving nothing but fond memories for many.
“Fermanagh & Omagh District Council is developing a heritage plan and I would make the case strongly the GNR needs to feature prominently in that,” said FODC Sinn Fein councillor Barry McElduff.
“It means an awful lot to people, people are proud of their history. It was hugely important for connectivity in the area.
“My own mother went to school in Donaghmore from Carrickmore on the train in the 1950s. What a joy that would be to have today.”
The cross-border rail review announced by Nichola Mallon and Eamon Ryan is examining ways of improving “sustainable connectivity” between major cities and enhancing regional accessibility, with the North West being highlighted as an area of specific interest.
It will consider the feasibility of higher speed rail lines on the network and whether it can be used for freight.
A map of how the Great Northern Railway network used to look.
“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,” Minister Mallon said in April of this year.
“This is an ambitious piece of work that will help inform our decision making and investment in our rail network for years to come.”
While the review was welcomed by history buff Paddy, he added it was time for action on the project rather than just words.
Paddy said: “If you live in Omagh or Enniskillen, you try going to university in Coleraine. Transport hubs are very limited as it is.
“My worry is that it is all talk, you want to see where the money is coming from and you want to get it up and running.
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“I’d love to see some sort of railway back, I think it’s all very feasible. You can talk about these things but you have to deliver them.”
The building of the troubled A5 Western Transport Corridor project has dominated conversations locally in recent years, but Cllr McElduff added the reintroduction of a rail network to the area is also hugely important for Tyrone and Fermanagh.
He said: “Of course the A5 is the primary focus and needs to be delivered at this time, but I share the long-term objective of reinstating rail infrastructure.
“It will be good for the environment, it will be good for the economy and it’s what people want. People want to be connected and I believe that economic prosperity in the North West is dependent on the A5 being delivered and rail infrastructure returning.”
The Strategic Rail Review reflects an Irish Government commitment under the New Decade, New Approach agreement of the Irish and UK Governments and will examine the potential for higher speed rail on the network, with the project to be delivered by external consultants.
No date has been provided yet as to when the review will begin.
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