Abandoned railways to be reopened for walking and cycling

Two former railway routes in Co Cork are to be opened to the public for leisure activities including cycling and walking.

Cork County Council has announced it is advancing its planning and design of what it calls Greenways routes on two sections of abandoned rail corridors between Cork and Kinsale and Ballinscarthy and Courtmacsherry.

It is the first phase of a project which intends to reopen much of the 180km of abandoned railway lines in West Cork to ramblers and cyclists.

The council announced it was preparing design documents after receiving funding under the National Cycle Network.

Clare Cronin, who is council’s Greenways project manager, said that reopening the former lines for leisure activities “would only be possible with the goodwill, generosity, and support of the landowners along the route”.

Members of the council’s Greenways team will be getting in touch with landowners in the coming weeks to ask for their consent to carry out a survey along the route.

Ms Cronin said that once that has been carried out, it is planned to meet with landowners and talk to them on an individual basis about the proposal. After that has been completed, council officials will start a more detailed planning and design of the routes.

Ms Cronin added that Cork’s scenic landscape was peppered with iconic railway structures such as Chetwynd Viaduct, Halfway Viaduct, and Ballinhassig Tunnel.

She believes the old railway lines have the potential to become world-class cycling and walking routes.

Ms Cronin pointed to the success of the Great Western Greenway in Co Mayo where landowners gave their permission to develop a former railway line.

“This provided a huge boost to the local economy and tourism sector, as well as providing a new focus for the communities along the route,” she said.

Ms Cronin said it is hoped that landowners and local communities in Co Cork would be as supportive so the proposed projects could reach their full potential.