Members of the Into The West rail group convened a public meeting in Strabane on Monday, the first of two events in Tyrone, to press for reinstatement of train services to Strabane, Omagh and Dungannon. Attendees received details on the Metro NorthWest initiative, which builds on the current line from Derry to Coleraine and Portrush by adding stations at Strabane, Omagh, Sion Mills and Newtownstewart.

The All-Island Rail Strategy, backed by governments north and south of the border, calls for trains to resume service to those three towns. A Rail Prioritisation Strategy issued two months prior designates the project as a priority. Into The West chair Steve Bradley noted high attendance and active participation at the Strabane gathering.

Restoration of a Derry to Portadown rail line, known as the North West Rail Corridor, faces a target completion no sooner than 2045. The project ranks top among reopenings, with forecasts of three million passengers yearly. The corridor would link the towns to networks serving Dublin and Belfast.

Into The West formed in 2004 to preserve the Derry-Coleraine rail line and now leads advocacy for transport improvements in the north west. Bradley encouraged locals to lobby elected officials and councils to hasten the schedule, citing gains for Tyrone's economy, population growth and tourism.