[Article] Dublin-Cork to get hourly trains

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/4781686?view=Eircomnet

Dublin-Cork to get hourly trains
From:ireland.com
Monday, 3rd January, 2005

Iarnród Éireann is to provide hourly train services between Dublin and Cork by early next year, as part of a major improvement in services on intercity rail routes over the next four years.

The company, which announced passenger figures of 34.5 million for last year, said it hoped to dramatically improve services on major intercity routes, beginning with the introduction of 67 new carriages on the Cork-Dublin route. The carriages are being built in the factories of CAF in Spain and will be delivered in the middle of the year.

A spokesman for Iarnród Éireann said it planned to introduce the carriages on the route towards the end of this year, with hourly services coming into effect in the first few months of next year. He said Iarnród Éireann hoped to confirm another large order of carriages for other intercity routes shortly.

This year the company will also complete the major upgrade of DART platforms to cater for larger trains, which will come into operation towards the end of the year.

The plans are part of a new investment phase for the company, following a five-year €1.3 billion programme which has just been completed.

Iarnród Éireann has also put proposals to Government for a €3.4 billion plan, which includes an underground tunnel linking a new station in the Docklands with St Stephen's Green and Heuston station.

Although there has been continuing criticism of overcrowding on some routes and a lack of adequate services on others, the company defended its record and said it had provided major improvements since 1999, completing large projects on time and on budget.

CIÉ and Iarnród Éireann chairman Dr John Lynch said the company had "delivered real improvements for our DART and commuter customers, and updated our track, signalling, level crossings, stations and rail communications on intercity routes.

"We now progress to our second phase of investment in the next four years, which will see continued expansion of services for DART and commuter customers, and dramatic improvements in quality and frequency of service for our intercity customers."

The company said there was now 50 per cent more carriages on DART peak time services, compared with four years ago. In the last five years, 420 miles of track have been upgraded from jointed track on timber sleepers to modern continuous welded rail on concrete sleepers, at a cost of € 300 million.

This, along with safety improvements, has led to quicker times on most mainline routes.

Other major projects, such as the €176 million upgrade of the DART line and the €117 million upgrade of Heuston station, were on time and on budget.

Victor

Old press releases

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/general_news.asp?action=view&news_id=46

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/general_news.asp?action=view&news_id=57

invincibleirish

nice of cie to say this while at the same time announcing the putting on ice of the proposed redevelopment of kent station in cork,i think anyone who has been thru the station will agree that the station is long overdue for flattening and rebuilding its even annoyed poor old joe gavin as seen in the examiner yesterday.,what next? cancellation of the reopening of the midleton line but an extra early service to dublin everyday?

enterprise

invincibleirish wrote:

nice of cie to say this while at the same time announcing the putting on ice of the proposed redevelopment of kent station in cork,i think anyone who has been thru the station will agree that the station is long overdue for flattening and rebuilding its even annoyed poor old joe gavin as seen in the examiner yesterday.,what next? cancellation of the reopening of the midleton line but an extra early service to dublin everyday?

I agree with you on one point - the station badly needs an overhaul. Could you please specify where you saw the redevelopment has been put on ice?

Its not just one extra service to Dublin in the morning - its a train every hour Dublin - Cork each way from 0600 until 2100 every day using a new fleet of carriages. It's a great development and a badly needed one between Ireland's two largest cities and the towns that the railway line serves in between. Additonal spin off benefits will occur for Limerick and Killarney, Tralee as well.

Rumour from some friends in Cork has it that the new fleet of 67 carriages will be deliveried by ship into the port of Cork and then craned over into the railway yard. Traditionally all railway stock built overseas for Ireland has been deliveried in to the Port of Dublin near the Point Depot.

sliabh

enterprise wrote:

It's a great development and a badly needed one between Ireland's two largest cities

*cough* Belfast *cough*

Let's not forget our comrades in the occupied six counties

invincibleirish

i got the rumour that the putting on ice of kent station from a post on the P11 message board here ,who in turn got it from inside cork(local free city paper).