Bringing the vision to reality: Iarnród Éireann rail and port investment powering ahead

Capital investment in rail and Rosslare Europort has firmly moved from planning to delivery stage says Jim Meade, Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann.

Our vision of being the backbone of Ireland’s sustainable transport network is clear and has rapidly moved from the vision to the planning stage, and now with the support of government and the National Transport Authority for the capital investment to achieve this, we are firmly in delivery mode.

Across all aspects of our business – for passenger and freight services on our rail network, and as Port Authority for Rosslare Europort – the decade of delivery is underway.

DART+ Programme

Already, 185 carriages of the new DART+ fleet are on order from Alstom – construction of the first two 5-carriage trains are well advanced, and they will arrive in September 2024. A detailed testing and regulatory approval process must follow for the first trains in the fleet, which will see them entering service from late 2025 / early 2026.

The order could potentially increase to 750 carriages over the decade as the DART+ Programme develops, and as options for supporting infrastructure for battery-electric versions of the train are considered for rail services in Cork, Wicklow and elsewhere.

The fleet order is an integral part of DART+, an investment will see double the passenger capacity and treble the electrification across all Greater Dublin Area rail services.

National network

Investment in infrastructure in the Dublin area will also grow our ability to operate services right around the country. Targeted line speed improvement works are also taking place. Construction of the new National Train Control Centre at Heuston Station has been completed, with train control systems being developed for full commissioning by 2025, to deliver more efficient train management across the network, to cater for the expanded network and services.

Regional cities

€185 million is to be invested in the Cork commuter rail network, under the EU-funded Recovery and Resilience Plan, allowing Iarnród Éireann to treble the Cork commuter rail network’s capacity through:

• double-tracking Glounthaune to Midleton;

• developing a new through platform at Kent Station for through running for Mallow to Midleton/Cobh; and

• resignalling the Cork commuter network.

All three elements are now underway. Additionally, in May of this year, the planning process for the next phase of the Cork Area Commuter Rail Network investment began. Multi-disciplinary consultants have been appointed to support a railway order application process for eight new commuter stations, a new fleet maintenance depot, and the electrification of the Cork network.

In Galway, funding under the Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF) includes:

• investment for a 1km section of second track and a new platform at the existing Oranmore Train Station, which will allow the busy commuter link between Athenry and Galway to grow – a planning application was submitted in May 2024.

• Ceannt Station is being regenerated as part of a major Galway City Council Transport Connectivity project, with works underway since January 2024.

In Limerick, the completion of the city’s own transportation hub centred on Colbert Station will also boost services, and the Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy has detailed the opportunities provided by the network of rail lines around Limerick City. Plans for new stations at Moyross and Ballysimon are currently progressing, and capacity studies are underway for Limerick Junction to Limerick to Ennis.

Waterford’s Plunkett Station is being relocated to be part of an integrated transport hub under plans to develop the city’s North Quays.

Rail freight and Rosslare Europort

Iarnród Éireann’s Rail Freight 2040 Strategy aims to achieve:

• a five-fold increase in the number of rail freight services;

• a resulting reduction of 25,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually; and

• avoiding the requirement for 140,000 HGV journeys on our roads annually.

Works to reinstate the Limerick to Foynes rail line for freight services are underway following funding from the Department of Transport, a clear commitment to the goals of Rail Freight 2040, with a 2025 completion date planned.

Iarnród Éireann is also port authority for Rosslare Europort, and its status as Ireland’s Gateway to Europe has been confirmed with 36 services operating directly between the port and Europe each week.

As well as investment in the Port Masterplan, the OPW’s Project T7 for a permanent border control post, and the new TII N25 Rosslare Europort Access Road, an ambitious €200 million plan to become Ireland’s offshore renewable energy hub, with the port uniquely placed to support the development of the industry in the Celtic and Irish seas.

Our journey to our sustainable future is to a destination which will benefit our country, our environment, our communities and our society as a whole, and everyone is welcome on board.

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