Swann calls for transparency as Knockmore Line Report remains under wraps

South Antrim MP Robin Swann

South Antrim MP Robin Swann has urged Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins MLA to confirm when the long-awaited feasibility study on reopening the Antrim–Lisburn railway line — widely known as the Knockmore Line — will finally be released to the public.

Mr Swann, who has championed the restoration of the line since first being elected to Westminster, said the continued lack of clarity around publication was causing frustration among residents and stakeholders eager to see progress.

The line, if reopened, would reconnect Antrim, Crumlin, Glenavy and Belfast International Airport directly to Lisburn and the wider Northern Ireland Railways network — a development long seen as a strategic boost for regional connectivity and economic growth.

The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) previously advised Mr Swann that the feasibility study would be completed by summer 2025.

Minister Kimmins later stated she would present her assessment in the autumn. With November now drawing to a close, no publication date has been announced.

Adding to the mounting pressure, the UK Department for Transport has confirmed to Mr Swann that it has already received a copy of the feasibility study from Translink.

Mr Swann said:

“The fact that the Department for Transport in Westminster has received the feasibility study shows that the work is finished and has been circulated.

“There is now no justification for any continued delay in publishing the findings for the public, key stakeholders or elected representatives.

“The Minister first said the report would be ready in summer 2025, then she would give her view in the autumn. We are now at the end of November and, beyond this vague seasonal timeline, we still have no further clarity. What is the Minister waiting for?”

Highlighting the wider significance of the project, he added:

“The reopening of the Knockmore Line presents a major economic opportunity for Antrim, Crumlin, Glenavy, Lisburn and the wider region - particularly by providing rail access to Belfast International Airport.”

Mr Swann has written to Minister Kimmins requesting a firm publication date and an explanation for the ongoing delay, stressing that communities along the route deserve transparency and certainty over the future of the rail link.