"Kiltimagh Velorail - a railbike experience unique in these islands" by Joe Kelly of the Velorail team

With a population of about 1200 plus another 3500 in its rural hinterland, Kiltimagh in Ireland's County Mayo is in a setting that is peripheral even by Irish standards and has got little in terms of natural tourism attractions. The only inland town in the county not on a main road, it has seen massive outmigration leading to dereliction and decimation of the economy and employment, IRD Kiltimagh was established by the local community to address these issues and employed agricultural science and rural development graduate, Joe Kelly in 1991.

IRD set about addressing the decline by implementing a broad ranging socio economic development programme over the 35 years of its existence, which among many other things includes the following.

An enterprise centre of 40,000 sq. ft,, the Cairn International Trade Centre, a 34.000 sq ft. ultra modern office building, Mayo Celtic Holidays - a tourism development company, 34 units of Social Housing, a 200 seat Theatre, Indoor and outdoor playgrounds, and a variety of public art works throughout the town including one entitled "I'll send you the fare" recalling the practice of the eldest sending money home for the second child to follow them into exile.

In its aspiration to achieve progressive socioeconomic development that would not be reliant on public funds, IRD-Kiltimagh operates on the basis of being a "Community Business". Rent from its workspace and housing, generates turnover from which wages and overheads are paid. Any profit is reinvested in new projects or other initiatives that better the area for all.

Always seeking to turn a negative into a positive, one of the directors while in France saw a Velorail with people cycling along disused railway tracks and recognised the potential for bringing the concept to Ireland. Once a secondary main line linking Galway with Sligo, the railway through Kiltimagh had closed to passengers in 1963 and to freight in 1975. Because no Velorail had previously existed in either Ireland or the UK, this was seen as innovative project that complimented rather than competed with existing projects and one which could put Kiltimagh firmly on the tourism map.It was necessary to bring the County Council onboard as a project partner in order to attain a licence on the disused track from rail operator Coras Iompair Eireann (CIE). This was aided by the support of the then transport minister Leo Varadkar TD who helped persuade CIE to grant a licence.

The group lobbying for rail reopening gave Velorail their conditional support as it would safeguard the alignment, but opposition was soon encountered from those wanting to lift the tracks in favour of a greenway - and their activities undoubtedly delayed the Velorail Project despite there being ample opportunities elsewhere in the area for greenway routes.

When 6.5 km of track (13km in total) either side of Kiltimagh was eventually cleared, the scale of the challenge was revealed because metals that had been removed or damaged needed to be replaced, structures repaired and level crossings that had been tarred over reinstated.

Whereas French Velorails often seemed to be unofficial hobby activities, much stricter rules had emanated from the Irish Commission for Rail Regulation who, were initially more at home with locomotives than with railbikes. They required that operation of Velorail departures should be in strict formation, led by staff who would unlock and lock level crossing gates, and oversee the safety of the customers.

Bikes from a Korean manufacturer were imported on behalf of Velorail by a local engineering firm, had to take account of the wider Irish gauge, and sixteen were acquired at a cost of around 14k euros each comprising two two-seaters with a wheelchair space, six five-seaters for families and eight four-seaters with everyone pedalling.

Total project cost of 700k euros included the railbikes and turntables, track reinstatement and crossings, a shed but not staff time, and contributions came from LEADER, the County Council, the Department of Rural and Community Development and IRD Kiltimagh (private funds). The decision to go for quality railbikes, complete with all safety features since this was a one-off investment seems to have paid off as the first season in the summer of 2023 brought very positive appreciation, carrying 2500 passengers and giving jobs to 13 members of staff. With the second season now getting under way, Velorail has put Kiltimagh on the tourist map, offering an environmentally friendly tourist experience that is without prejudice to eventual use of the alignment for a greenway and/or a reopened railway, and has already inspired other such projects on Irish narrow-gauge lines that until recently carried peat from bogs to power-stations.

Report by John Yellowlees.