With significantly fewer stations and lines in use than in decades long since past, Ireland's railways have officially entered their golden age.
As the car became more popular, more public funds were soon allocated to roads rather than rail, even though trains once appeared to pass through almost every village on the island.
There was some hope for improvement when a cross-Irish border review was announced in April 2021, even though a revolutionary railway revival is extremely unlikely.
Both Eamon Ryan, then the transport minister for the Republic of Ireland, and Nichola Mallon, then the transport minister for Northern Ireland, pledged to produce an "ambitious piece of work" that would guide future investment and decision-making.
As part of that work, improvements to the high-speed rail system between Cork, Dublin, Belfast, and the north-west of the island have been considered.
A previously considered link between counties Donegal and Londonderry has also been considered, along with potential rail extensions across both jurisdictions.
One "interesting prospect" in particular has been mentioned by Mr. Ryan. It concerns a potential line that "might spur from Portadown to Dungannon, Omagh, Strabane, then Derry with a connection to Letterkenny.".
However, the review has still not been released after two years, and now campaigners are hoping for some relief.
According to BBC News NI, the review's consulting company, Arup, said that it finished its work in December.
Officials in Stormont and Dublin attribute the delay to the political crisis there, where the power-sharing government is unable to function, and state that "further consultation" is necessary.
Mr. Ryan stated in February that it "would be intolerable if we were unable to advance our plans due to the assembly being not restored in the north.".
An agreed-upon final draft has been filed, according to Stormont officials who spoke to BBC News Northern Ireland, but it still needs to pass through additional checks on both sides of the border.
The all-island review appears to have taken a significant detour, so what can be done now?
The rapid release of the review, according to Mark Gleeson of the organization Rail Users Ireland, is crucial for the advancement of the railways.
"There are numerous rail projects in Ireland that are currently going to public hearings for planning approval," he claims.
"The lack of the review's availability as a process input is worrying. ".
"Stormont's dysfunctional administration means there is no one with the authority to certify.
"There is also confirmation that the report is still being drafted from Dublin officials, though this may just be an excuse to cover up the delay. ".
Aaron Vennard, a different campaigner, says the UK government must "take a role in relieving the blockage" but has declined to do so. He wants a circular rail route to connect Belfast with more nearby towns.
The Union Connectivity Review, which it had commissioned in 2021, had made the recommendation that Westminster "provide funding and major project expertise" to support the all-Ireland review and its implementation.
It would seem counterproductive, according to Mr. Vennard, for the UK government to let its own recommendations lapse.
He is not, however, persuaded that Northern Ireland will give rail infrastructure financial priority despite these recommendations.
"My concern is that the A5 [road improvement scheme] would take priority, and if that were to happen, any capital funding from [Stormont] would be unavailable for anything else for the following ten years," he says.
"I believe that improved rail in the area and reduced traffic on the A5, which would help reduce accidents, are two connections that politicians have been unable to make. ".
Despite the fact that some campaigners have their own ambitious plans for railway development, even those plans would fall far short of the level of connectivity the island once had.
Consider County Donegal as an example. Its 225-mile (362-km) long narrow-gauge network was one of Europe's largest, but by 1960, all service had been discontinued.
Similar to how almost everyone in Northern Ireland used to live within five miles of a train station, demand for trains declined after the establishment of the land border in the 1920s and increased competition from roads after World War One for both travel and freight.
Some of that infrastructure is still in place despite being out of commission for many years.
The Knockmore line, which runs from Lisburn to Antrim via Belfast International Airport, is a notable example of a track that may soon undergo revitalization.
Another recent £60,000 feasibility study, the results of which have not yet been made public, was conducted on the link between Portadown and Armagh city.
Steve Bradley, a lobbyist for the Into The West organization, has been working for rail connectivity in the counties of Fermanagh, Londonderry, Tyrone, and Donegal for almost 20 years.
People from areas other than the north-west of the island, according to him, "tend to not understand the degree of knittedness there is across the border between Derry and Donegal.".
In the north-west corner, from Inishowen and north-east Donegal into Derry city, for instance, 46% of all cross-border journeys for work or study take place, he says.
The inability of the public and private sectors to plan accordingly as a result of the review's delay has "real-world consequences.".
Mr. Bradley asserts that "they need to start planning housing and services in relation to where rail would return to those areas.".
"They must take care to avoid making planning decisions that might hinder or increase the cost or difficulty of the return of rail in the future.
Are there any investment decisions being made right now that might be different if Derry and Donegal had better rail service for employees, customers, and goods?
"Of course, whether or not these things are built is a very different question.
"Given how wealthy the Republic is right now, I anticipate that Derry to Letterkenny will happen.
It's a reasonably cheap piece of construction, and when combined with the A5, it's an obvious way to increase connectivity to Donegal.
What worries me more is whether Stormont will locate and secure funding for Derry to Portadown.
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