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Progress on the A1 road improvement scheme, Dublin Belfast rail services and the Southern Relief Road have been welcomed by Newry and Armagh MP Daire Hughes following a meeting with Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins.
Mr Hughes discussed the A1 road improvements with the minister "The Minister confirmed that the tendering process for work will be concluded shortly and work would commence early next year. This will be welcome news for local motorists and will enhance safety on this incredibly busy road."
They also discussed rail services and the need for additional Dublin-Belfast services in light of the success of the new daytime hourly service. The minister confirmed that capacity in the future would be increased when a new fleet of trains came into service in the coming years. Mr Hughes said "The 50% increase in passengers using the hourly Enterprise service is proof that if a good public transport service is offered, people will use it.
A feasibility study into the Armagh-Portadown rail link is also going to be published shortly. "Connecting Armagh city to Portadown, and therefore the main Dublin-Belfast line, would be a game-changer for Armagh. There is unquestionably a demand for this service and I look forward to working to advance this project in the time ahead." he said.
“Newry’s Southern Relief Road was also discussed and the MP encouraged everyone to respond to a current consultation which closed 4 March 2025. Information on how responses can be made can be found at https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk "The Minister and I agreed that the delivery of this project would be transformative for Newry, helping to alleviate traffic congestion in our city centre, taking heavy goods vehicles out of Newry and improving air quality for residents. I repeated Sinn Féin’s support for a lifting bridge to preserve both access to and the heritage of Newry Canal." This project is currently subject to a public consultation and we encourage everyone with an interest to respond to the consultation." said Mr Hughes.
The meeting also discussed NI Water and connectivity to new builds. "It was encouraging to hear that the Minister is working to support NI Water and increase connectivity rates. Initiatives taken by the Minister and her predecessor John O’Dowd have already seen thousands of buildings connected and it is hoped this will continue. It is clear that every department in the Executive is in need of more funding from London, but the Minister is committed to working with her Executive colleagues to secure the funding needed to address these issues.” he concluded.
