DONOHOE'S ELECTION DRIFT: "Change here for Trim and Athboy" - Politicians need to get the train together!

There is a copy of a Meath Chronicle from November 1999 framed in the newsroom of the Meath Chronicle. It is framed because it carries my colleague Ann Casey's report on the conferring of the freedom of Navan on 007 movie star, Pierce Brosnan, local lad what done well.
Sharing the page are the two senior Meath TDs at the time, John Bruton and Noel Dempsey, under the headline 'Plan revives dispute between Dempsey and Bruton over commitment to rail link', referring to the latest National Development Plan (NDP).
And so, 21 years later, we still wait for the train. In fairness to Noel Dempsey, as transport minister, he had advanced it to a planning stage, when Iarnrod Eireann had actually started consultation meetings in towns and villages along the way. 
Of course, there had been a vibrant line in operation through Meath from 1862, finally closing in 1964, operated by the Midland Great Western Railway Company, and later CIE, until the transport company, under the chairmanship of Tod Andrews (grandfather of one Ryan Tubridy), decided the motor car was the way forward.
Kilmessan Station was the busy junction of the Navan and Trim lines, where the station guard's shout was “Change here for Trim and Athboy”.
Now, in this year's election, everyone is again promising the rail line to Navan and Meath. Deputy Peadar Toibin, who set up a 'Meath on Track' campaign, is hosting a meeting in Navan. Sinn Fein councillor, Darren O'Rourke, is hosting a meeting in Dunshaughlin. Johnny Guirke has it in his Sinn Fein manifesto. Shane Cassells of Fianna Fail has been pushing the issue in the Dail for a long time, inviting Transport Minister Shane Ross down to Navan to see the development of the town for himself. I'm sure the Fine Gael TDs are all in favour too -  Damien English had been vocal in opposition, but didn't seem to be able to stop his embattled senior minister, Eoghan Murphy, recently downgrading it as a priority in a regional development plan.
This rail line is too big a project to be treated like a political football. The realisation has dawned that the rail line his now a necessity. But to drive it forward, it needs to be depoliticised. It needs a champion, a 'rail tzar' to promote the idea, with the backing of all political parties and none.
Deputy Toibin's initiative is very noble, but it is not going to get the support of other politicians, when he is seen as spearheading it. Like Liam Mulvihill is helping Meath GAA on the Pairc Tailteann development, maybe Meath needs a high profile figure to lead a rail line campaign. 
When the M3 motorway was an issue, the local Chambers of Commerce successfully combined to support it – maybe the newly combined Meath Chambers could spearhead a campaign for the rail line to Meath as their big initiative for 2020 and the new decade. But it would have to be seen as an independent politician free  - or former politician free – zone.  I'm not saying there is anything wrong with politicians, far from it, but they simply won't join each other's campaigns or organisations.

Maybe Bond could bring the train to Navan!