The train timetable between Derry and Belfast has been slammed as "absolutely absurd" by an MLA.
Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin said the number of train journeys serving the stations at Derry, Bellarena and Castlerock could be doubled for a sum worth "barely a footnote in that departmental budget".
She said it is "absolutely absurd" that a train runs around once an hour at "every station east of Coleraine" each Sunday, while the remaining three stations on the line to Derry run only "every two hours".
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The SDLP MLA, addressing the Stormont Assembly this week, said: "I rise to speak, once again, about what is happening with rail provision in the north-west. It is not a misunderstanding or an oversight; it is a deliberate and sustained act of regional discrimination. For years, Derry — the second city in Northern Ireland — Castlerock and Bellarena have been treated as second class when it comes to rail services.
"Let me give you the facts, again: every station east of Coleraine gets 13 Sunday trains in each direction, which is, essentially, a service every hour, while stations west of Coleraine get just six — a train every two hours. That is not just unfair but absolutely absurd. Only one train from Derry reaches Belfast before 9.00 am on weekdays. That is a complete failure of public transport planning, and it cripples opportunity for workers, students and the wider regional economy. The last train from Belfast to Derry is at 9.10 pm, and, on Sundays, it is even worse: 7.10 pm."
She continued: "After those times, passengers to the north-west are cut off. That is not due to tunnels or trains, or down to technical limitations; it is a political decision that is rooted in outdated thinking, and which has been tolerated for far too long. In fact, the three stations — Derry, Castlerock and Bellarena — each receive 2,400 fewer services per year than their eastern counterparts. That is over one million fewer seats for a city that is trying to grow its university, attract businesses and retain young people.
"For what? We are told that the cost to fix it would be in the region of £1·5 million a year, which is barely a footnote in that departmental budget. It works out at less than 8p per rail journey across the network, which is a tiny price to pay to end a glaring inequality that has persisted since 2017."
The Foyle MLA added: "Let us not forget that the situation affects more than just commuters. With a growing university in Magee, which is already facing a shortage of accommodation, many students commute into Derry, but only one train reaches the city by 9.00 am. That is unacceptable.
"With major events such as the Open in Portrush this summer, the failure to provide proper Sunday services west of the Bann will once again undermine Derry and the wider north-west as a destination for visitors, investment and growth. That is no longer a quiet policy flaw: it is a loud message to the people of the north-west that we are not seen; we are not prioritised; and we are not treated equally."
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