The Derry to Belfast rail journey speed has been described by SDLP Derry MLA Colum Eastwood as “embarrassing” after a cyclist won a “man versus train” challenge between the cities.
Local man John Madden took on the train on Sunday last in a “Top Gear” style challenge, breaking the record for cycling between Derry and Belfast and beating the train between the two cities.
From point to point, it took John two hours and 37 minutes, beating the record held by Morris “Big Mo” Foster for many years while it took Limavady solicitor Peter Jack two hours and 39 minutes to complete the journey by train.
Mr Jack had suggested the challenge in order to highlight the inadequacies of the rail infrastructure between the two cities.
Mr Eastwood said the result, while “massively impressive” in terms of John Madden’s cycling performance, was “nothing short embarrassing” for Northern Ireland’s railway system, especially when John did not use the motorway.
SDLP MLA Colum Eastwood.
The pair Derry’s General Post Office at 9.15am on Sunday with their destination the Albert Memorial Clock in Belfast where John arrived two minutes ahead of Mr Jack.
Mr Eastwood said: “When Peter finally got there, John had been waiting for two minutes is a truly damning indictment of the rail speed between the North’s two main cities.
“This situation once again shows that the current rail speed is not acceptable and highlights the dire need for the planned upgrade to be carried out without further delay.
“It is up to Minister Danny Kennedy to ensure that phase two of the upgrade project is completed sooner than expected to give passengers the shorter journey times they deserve.”
Mr Eastwood concluded: “While a fantastic achievement for John Madden, a man on a bike beating a £5m train between the two biggest cities in Northern Ireland, proves how ludicrous the current rail journey time is.”
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