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Limerick transport and travel projects

pigtown

There are a lot of proposed and confirmed travel and transport improvements coming down the tracks for Limerick city and county, and the wider region.

I thought it might be a good idea to create a thread to post details of them and hopefully lead to discussion and debate.

Some of the bigger ones are;

ROADS

M21 Foynes - planning permission approved, no details on construction yet

M20 Cork - route selection agreed if I recall correctly

REGIONAL RAIL

Limerick-Foynes - plans to reopen the line for freight are looking positive. There's talk of potential passenger services too but I can't see it happening

Limerick-Limerick Junction - plans to double track the line seem to be a given. Don't know when it will happen though

Limerick-Nenagh - track upgrades have enabled an increase in speed on the line. No additional services are proposed yet though

Limerick-Galway - a solution to the flooding issues is being worked on

SUBURBAN RAIL

The Green Party and Irish Rail are pushing for a Suburban rail network for the city with new services and stops on all the existing lines, as well as a new connection to Shannon. It's a very ambitious proposal given the existing services and could transform the city if it went ahead. There's virtually no support for this in the department though and Limerick's planning policies aren't geared up to support such a service.

In saying that, Irish Rail are due to receive a large number of new trains which might result in a surplus. It's possible they might be allowed to run new services on the existing lines given no new train sets would be needed.

Also, the country is going to have to take drastic action to reduce our emissions soon so its possible attitudes in government will change rapidly.

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Comments

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124491897#Comment_124491897

Local councils have nothing to do with this. If Cork were waiting on local advocates they would be fuked. People like the mayor or councils are in no way qualified to plan public transport.

NTA identified what Cork needed and what could be done for the reasons Cookie listed above.

Limerick gets its fair amount which is less than Cork and Dublin, the same amount as Galway and more than Waterford.

Cookiemunster

It's not really that striking though. Limerick and Cork aren't comparable. A city of 100k v a city of 224k.

The CACR will use the existing Dublin Cork line and the Midleton line which is being returned to double track. And it is connecting large population centers in Mallow and Midleton to Cork City. Limerick doesn't have anywhere near the same infrastructure already in place or the population centers to justify anything similar (Please don't try to compare it to the Foynes line).

The Cork LUAS is also only viable because of the population. It wouldn't be viable in Limerick. And even that is still only a plan on paper.

Their BusConnects is in the same boat as ours. Delayed. Only with multiple objections to their proposed routes.

And while they're getting the M28, we're getting the M21 and the road to Foynes.

We need to be practical in Limerick. We need BusConnects and park and rides on the outskirts of the city. They will be transformative for the city.

We don't need to waste money on low frequency rail that doesn't serve the vast majority of daily commuters.

pigtown

Interesting article about transport investment in Cork. It's striking how far behind Limerick is in comparison. Maybe transport is something the mayor should have powers over. As it stands, who advocates for the city and region?

https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2026/0523/1574778-cork-transport/

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124470045#Comment_124470045

Moyross and Ballysimon will happen and maybe just maybe Adare/Well/Raheen services (yes I know small catchment area)

Small catchment area now, yes, but will grow in years to come. Will grow substantially more, and faster, if rail services are provided. Provided they are capable ones of course!

By the time all this happens most of our current workforce will have the free travel pass

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124469951#Comment_124469951

Double tracking and frequency upgrades to LJ will happen.

There seems to be growing momentum behind better connections to the other cities so a limited amount of direct to Cork I think will definitely happen. Cork seems to be growing rapidly so demand for service will do the same.

Waterford is currently a joke and Galway not much better so later departures are needed and I think limited upgrades will happen but dramatic speed increases is never gonna happen by 2050.

Moyross and Ballysimon will happen and maybe just maybe Adare/Well/Raheen services (yes I know small catchment area)

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124469522#Comment_124469522

I'd be very (and happily) surprised to see 20% of this happen by 2050

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124469842#Comment_124469842

It would require work that is so far down the Irish Rail to do list it's touching the earth's core. Can't see Limerick to Galway getting to those proposed speeds without a whole new w line which is not going to happen either.

pigtown

It's disappointing that even with the ambitious plans, the journey time to Nenagh will still be 90 minutes. That's twice the time it takes to drive.

breezy1985

It's basically just the All Ireland Rail Review repackaged.

It's a rail need wish list which should be thought of the same was as the fashion you see on a catwalk. The real version we actually get will just be the practical parts of this like some frequency upgrades.

I saw recently that a lack of gate keepers is being blamed for being unable to increase trains on the Nenagh line.

pigtown

Irish Rail have published their corporate strategy to 2050. It's a very ambitious document with no real plan for delivery and it includes significant upgrades of rail services in the city and region.

It proposes an urban rail network with services to Rathkeale, Shannon Airport, Nenagh (hourly), Ennis (hourly) and Limerick Junction (half hourly).

Direct services to Cork, Waterford and Galway (every 2 hours for each), and 28 Dublin services a day, with 8 direct services, are also projected.

https://www.irishrail.ie/_kontent/d2e85689-fbf9-010a-a02e-587ed94b5032/9fefc785-3b4c-49ff-8752-a384973d0e71/Rail2050.pdf

Cookiemunster

Suburban rail on the Ennis or Foynes lines are non runners. The bus will be faster getting from Moyross to the city centre and will be the only way to get to UL it the National Technology Park via public transport. The bus will also be the only way to get between Raheen and Castletroy even if there were services on the Foynes line.

All routes lead to Colbert, meaning anyone wanting to go between Moyross and Raheen would need to enter the station adding time to the journey. Again the bus will be faster.

Suburban rail on single track lines is highly inefficient and severely limits the frequency of services.

Suburban rail on the old lines is a nice idea, but it's not realistic. Especially with the low population density along the lines and the huge improvement coming online with BusConnects.

There's a reason that LSMATS commits to nothing more than stations at Moyross and Ballysimon.

pigtown

I know he has his detractors but the mayor is fully in favour of a suburban rail network so hopefully he can use his position to steer things in that direction

● convince councillors and the planning department to zone likely station locations for higher density development

● Irish Rail are on board but need the NTA and department of transport to include it in their budgets

● organise key stakeholders who would benefit to lobby for it (HSE, LIT, UL, LDA, Limerick 2030, all medium and large businesses in Raheen industrial estate, Annacotty business park, Ballysimon road business parks etc.). A united front is needed, and as the lines already exist there wouldn't be any competing interests wanting it to go one way rather than another

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124303696#Comment_124303696

That's great but things are so bad we need to sort the places with current high populations and no or sht trains first.

PlacPlaces currently on train lines like LJ, Castleconnell, Birdhill and Sixmilebridge have loads of scope for growth already too without even needing a new line and.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124303696#Comment_124303696

The last time our government thought that far ahead into the future was back in the 1920s when they effectively created a national grid from scratch via the ardnacrusha hydro power station

Don't get me wrong, I 100% agree we should be building stations in the towns along the Limerick-Junction line for future population use, the lack of govt foresight though means it will never happen.

LeoD

Mass transport planning decisions should not based solely on where current population centres are - we should be thinking about 30-40 years from now. Maybe the places that are only villages now should be prioritised for growth and investment if they have the ability to support rail. But this will never happen as sustainable long term planning is not something we do in Ireland.

breezy1985

The only towns around Limerick that are comparable to the size towns Cork are connecting are Newcastle West and Shannon.

Both are further away than anything being built in Cork and one never had a train line which is a death sentence for any promises in this country.

Once Navan is built Carrigaline which is more than twice the size of NCW and almost twice Shannon will be the biggest town without a station so you can see where we are on the list of priorities.

Cookiemunster

The other thing with Cork is that the Middleton line used to be double tracked, so it was relatively easy to double track it again.

The Ennis line and the Foynes line were never double track and don't have space to be doubled now.

The Limerick Junction line is to be double tracked, but it doesn't have any large population centres to make suburban rail viable either.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124301281#Comment_124301281

Cork city is not only twice the size it has some very big towns to connect to which were lucky enough to already be on train lines. It was easy by Irish train standards.

There is definitely scope for better services but what those councillors want is just hot air.

pigtown

You might be right but I'm a little optimistic. The same was said about Cork for years and now they're effectively getting their equivalent of the DART in a few year's time.

And there seems to be more recognition in general on the importance of public transport from a planning and spatial perspective, as well as in reducing emissions.

It won't happen quickly but briefings like the one in the link are all part of the process.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124299539#Comment_124299539

Raised every few years, great plans but nothing will ever happen

Here's a similar plan from 4 years ago

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/news/additional-rail-proposals-in-revised-limerick-shannon-transport-strategy/

Cookiemunster

Suburban commuter rail will never be viable in Limerick on the existing single track lines. The population density along the lines is too low. This is just IE telling councillors what they want to hear.

pigtown

https://www.limerickpost.ie/2026/03/09/rail-the-right-track-to-limericks-future-council-meeting-with-irish-rail-hears/

No concrete plans but certainly positive noises about suburban rail in the city

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123227055#Comment_123227055

I think you'll find the shopping center was built for shopping

Louche Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123226252#Comment_123226252

You saw some cars in a car park at an out-of-town shopping centre built for cars.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123226606#Comment_123226606

I don't have an anti bike agenda, but I do feel that when planning city layouts priority given to the way the majority travel, rather than the minority

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123226252#Comment_123226252

You are being purposely ignorant.

Anyone without an anti bike agenda knows these reports are about city centres not shopping centres built on the edge of cities.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123219520#Comment_123219520

Looking at the amount of cars parked in the crescent shopping center vs the number of bikes parked there on any given Saturday I'd be inclined to disagree with that statement

Louche Lad

Several studies have found that owners of small businesses greatly overestimate the proportion of their customers arriving by car. For example:

https://ggwash.org/view/96602/survey-most-shopkeepers-shoppers-overestimate-car-use

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2021/11/05/parking-kills-businesses-not-bikes-or-buses.html

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123216891#Comment_123216891

The difference in perception between consumer and business owner is stark.

Given that the majority of their own customers are in favour only reinforces my belief that all business owners are really concerned about is the ability to get their own car close to the door. You see it quite often on little Catherine St. and Foxes Bow with business owners ruining the aesthetic and tranquility that is a huge driver for their business by driving and parking on the street.

Vanquished

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123216404#Comment_123216404

It's pretty astonishing that the Council had to go to the bother of procuring a consultancy to undertake such an extensive data gathering exercise. Just to placate the usual band of intellectually challenged business owners and Councillors, determinined to keep the city mired in mediocrity.