The Minister for Transport failed to give a positive commitment to the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor between Sligo and Limerick when he addressed a seminar in Castlebar, Co Mayo, yesterday.
Martin Cullen did pledge, however, that a study by an expert group of the route would be "considered in its entirety" and he said the project had serious merit and offered serious benefit.
Asked about the lack of a clear commitment in his speech towards the project, Mr Cullen said he had received the experts' report yesterday morning.
He would study the document further before making a detailed comment. National transport plans would be going to the Cabinet in a few months' time, he added.
Fr Micheál MacGréil SJ, who has led a 26-year campaign to have the line reopened, said he was optimistic that in the long term it would be restored.
Fr MacGréil predicted that once the line was up and running commuters who were now "clogging the roads" in and out of Sligo, Galway and Limerick/Ennis/Shannon would switch to the train.
The Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who attended the conference, said the Government should take a risk and provide the infrastructure beforehand which would lead to an increased demand for rail services.
Pointing out that there was an underspend of €600 million in the Border Midlands West (BMW) region, Mr Kenny said that the rail corridor project stood out as a striking example of how the Government could redress this.
Mayo Independent TD Dr Jerry Cowley said he was hugely disappointed by the Minister's speech.
"What he said was totally aspirational. The rail link has not been brought forward one iota. It's the same old story," he commented.