Politicians have condemned Fermanagh’s exclusion from the All-Island Rail Review, with one launching a petition to present to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The petition was initiated by DUP MLA Deborah Erskine, who also serves as the party’s infrastructure spokesperson.

She said: “We need to make our voices heard in relation to this.”

Mrs. Erskine continued: “The fact that County Fermanagh was entirely omitted from the review was highlighted well in advance of its publication, but nothing has changed in the final document.

“It is hard to fathom how a Northern Ireland Government Minister felt it was right to sign off on a document that does not point to regionally balanced infrastructure.

"Yet Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd did this and came to Enniskillen, which is in the only county not included in the report, to hold a press conference heralding the All-Island Strategic Rail Review document.”

Sinn Féin MLA Áine Murphy said that the Infrastructure Minister has requested that the authors reconsider the viability of rail services to Fermanagh.

She said: “Sinn Féin is disappointed with this recommendation. We are aware of the potential benefits that adequate transport and connectivity can bring to a region.

"A new recommendation to update the review once a decade has been included in the final review.

"This recommendation will provide an opportunity to reconsider the case for rail connectivity to Fermanagh.”

Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott said the review demonstrated a lack of ambition and willingness to address regional inequality in the transport network.

Mr. Elliott said: “When the All-Island Strategic Rail Review was first announced, there was much optimism that Fermanagh would finally be connected by trains.

"However, the Minister and this review have demonstrated a clear lack of ambition to connect every community in Northern Ireland and the rest of the island.

"The rail review was ambitious, yet with a price tag of approximately £31billion, it is doubtful we will ever see the fruits of its labour.”

SDLP Councillor Adam Gannon noted the local anger over the exclusion of the area from the review.

He said: “Public transport options in this area are unfit for purpose, and this was a missed opportunity to begin addressing that.

"If we want to connect our towns and cities, create economic opportunities, and fight the climate crisis, then we need fit-for-purpose transport links in every area.

"These problems matter no less in Fermanagh than in any other part of this island.”

Alliance Party Councillor Eddie Roofe said: “The obvious omission of Fermanagh from the plans is shameful and a missed opportunity.

"A recommendation for an improved bus service linking Enniskillen to nearby train stations is a poor consolation prize, considering how inadequate the current rural bus service is across the county.

“Sinn Féin's Infrastructure Minister defended the decision, stating that it did not provide value for money as demand was expected to be low.

"Such an argument is a perfect example of ignoring cause and effect. Demand would be higher if the population were higher. The population would be higher if job opportunities were greater.

"Job opportunities would be higher if the correct infrastructure were in place. We are stuck in a cycle of recycled excuses.

"What a wasted opportunity to break from those shackles.”

You can sign the petition here: https://chng.it/bktJTxDx5b.