The Strategic Rail Review will consider how the rail network on the island can improve sustainable connectivity between major cities, enhance regional accessibility including to the North West and support balanced regional development.
After the publication of the final AIRR, what is the next step?
Continue with the projects listed below?
Greater Dublin Area (GDA)
new DART fleet: framework order signed for 750 vehicles in Dec 2021, of which 185 ordered so far
DART+ west: design done, RO submitted to ABP in July 2022, permission rec'd from ABP in July 2024
DART+ southwest: designed, RO submitted to ABP in March 2023
DART+ north: designed, RO submitted to ABP in July 2024
DART+ south: design and public consultation in 2024
Am I missing anything in Dublin?
Cork city area
Three projects are actually under construction? Thanks to EU funds.
(1) extra platform(s) at Kent station = construction underway
(2) 10km double-tracking from Glouthaune to Midleton: RO granted by ABP in Nov 2023 - has construction started?
(3) re-signalling to ECTS = construction is underway since Jan 2024
Cork area: new stations, electrification = all at early design stage
Around Limerick
Line to Foynes - re-construction is well underway
LJ to Limerick re-doubling: I'm unsure as to its status
New station at Moyross = proposed design published
New station in suburbs of Limerick: I'm unsure about this? Ballysimon?
Other projects
Elimination of LC in north county Cork: huge delays with ABP
Oranmore passing loop 1km and new platform: still no planning application for such a simple project
Ceannt station re-development: construction started in early 2024
Do IE have the capacity to do more?
No moves on the Navan line?
This is not a plan as such, that is the difference. This is a big list of possible proposals, none of which are policy.
The amount of investment that actually comes as a result of the AIRR will be significantly smaller than 37B
DART+ West needs a new or modified depot plan, with a railway order. There has also been a commitment to deliver an extension to Kilcock at the same time, so that should already be under design (this will satisfy a tiny bit of the AISRR Maynooth to Mullingar dualling, as will DART+ West for that matter)
There has been a less solid commitment made to design two additional stations on DART+ South West to also be delivered at the same time.
Both of these will consume engineering time and resources.
Some level of design work is underway on Navan, allegedly. Consultation next year, possibly.
Connecting Maynooth and Hazelhatch lines.
Only 7km or so.
Not the biggest job in the world, but challenging. Will allow for Sligo ICs to go to Heuston on Hazelhatch 4 track, maximising Maynooth line for DART services.
Should be seen if station at northern outskirts of Celbridge can be built and maybe some Hazelhatch services start at Maynooth servicing Celbridge North before joint Hazelhatch line (tho they may actually miss Hazelhatch.
Not sure they'd want to build a bypass track for intercities, and immediately put commuter trains on it though.
Limerick - Foynes will only be freight under current plans. The proposed plan would be for passengers.
Moyross and Ballysimon are already separate active plans as you say.
Also likely extend Dart to Wicklow, though perhaps that comes under DART+ south.
It’s hardly gonna be maxed out with IC trains tho.
Some commuter trains using it would make it more viable.
Eventually biting the bullet and moving the Wicklow line inland should probably be part of the AIRR, otherwise it will just fall into the sea...
There's a list of stuff that failed to make it to the final recommendations list and the overall reasons why - there were inland moves on that (and stuff like rail to West Donegal etc).
From the report, if the 32 recommendations were implemented , these are the new travel times traveling around the network.
Its hard to imagine from where we are now, to see Ireland's rail network as fast and efficient as this.
Sorry for only skimming, but how on earth would Cork-Waterford be improved???
No movement on-the-ground on Glounthaune-Midleton yet.
Little Island station upgrade substantially complete, if not fully complete.
The existing Limerick Junction to Waterford line is incredibly slow, think connections are crap too.
Faster line speed and scheduled for connections would make end to end a lot quicker than now.
Report rules out a more direct route as too geographically complex.
3h04m with a 19min change is the current best - most of the day the journey planner sends you via Heuston for >5h!
Page 69 seems to indicate and upgrade on Limerick Jnc or even a bypass
that's the beauty of this report, you can read it, sit back and imagine it.
The infra has had SFA investment in the last X years.
The government decided to build toll roads instead as they were significantly cheaper.
All the freight moved to the roads and that was the end of that. moving freight on rail is a big money maker, It is difficult to expand when the roads got all the investment and the railway got none.
When I was a kid, freight trains used to pass by the back of my house very regularly, they are very rare to see now. I think there is an intermodal service from Dublin to Ballina and possibly a wood train.
Total cost of everything looks like its gonna €60b max (If I'm reading it correctly) Seems like a worth while investment given the price of the Metro and NCH.
The "Access Charging System" being to expensive keeps coming up in the report. I had a read of this: https://www.irishrail.ie/IrishRail/media/Imported/AccessChargingPerformanceRegime1.pdf
It's not 100% clear, can someone explain?
What piece are you not clear on? To me it seems this is referencing opening the network for additional operators. The cost of running a private (competitive?) operation on the network is too high at present. Not sure if that's your question though.
Thanks, I don't think it's reasonable to compare that route with the road at all though. How many Cork-Waterford connections are actually possible per day outside of Heuston? I think it's two.
So I think it's a very disingenuous graphic to say Cork to Waterford would be 1.5 hours when it's two trains a day.
But even if you take that at face value, LJ to Waterford is currently 1 hour 45 and Cork to LJ is currently 1 hour. It's about 100km for each leg of the journey. It would be some achievement to improve both legs by so much that it would achieve 1.5 hours over 200km with a change in the middle (10 mins?). You'd want something like 150kmh average speed. I'm not buying this one at all I'm afraid. It's way too over-optimistic.
That's initially what I thought.
But why are there references to DART, intercity and commuter?
Irish Rail pay Irish Rail these sums to operate trains?
Irish Rail (Railway Undertaking) pay Irish Rail (Infrastructure Operator)
EU require them to be separated
There is no change of service involved in the projection: it's a journey from Waterford to Limerick Junction then directly onto the Cork line via a new chord. 1h30 seems a reasonable estimate if a 200 km/h line speed applies to both legs.
By road, the distance is 125 km, typically 1h45 travel time, with a possible 5 minute reduction on that if they ever bypass Castlemartyr. In nearly 30 years, my best time doing the journey is 1h25, and that was at night during the pandemic with no other traffic. I do not exceed the speed limit.
Any idea of the potential new Dublin-Limerick journey times?
Limerick - Dublin was the fastest at around 70 minutes
No Limerick to Foynes on the as the entire project is a massive conjob. It is just a long siding from Limerick to Foynes with no loops, turnbacks, sidings or loading areas. Not a frieght customer in sight. It is just for show. Banana Republic on steroids.
Takes that long for some lads to find their seats 🤣
Just reflects the reality that there is feck all demand for Rail Freight in Ireland.
Literally couldn't get a country fundamentally less suited to it. Small country, very short distances, every city is a port, excellent motorway network, very little in the way of heavy industry or mineral extraction.
Was the invitation to tender issued?
A Railway Order application was granted by An Bord Pleanála in November 2023 to construct a proposed second rail track along the 10km railway line between Glounthaune and Midleton. Invitation to tender for construction works will issue in January 2024, with a construction start planned for summer 2024. This will enable twin-tracking to be completed by late 2026.
The proposed link from Sligo line to Kildare line - would that diverge off Sligo line to the west or east of Maynooth station?
I presume to the east, after trains have passed through Maynooth?
