New train lines are “very much on the agenda” as Iarnród Éireann seeks to increase the number of people using public transport. 

Yesterday, An Bord Pleanála signed off on a plan to build a second railway track between the town of Midleton and the village of Glounthaune in Cork. 

The project means trains will no longer have to wait at a station to pass by each other and Iarnród Éireann Corporate Communications Manager Barry Kenny said it will significantly boost capacity. 

“It is trebling the frequency of trains,” he told Newstalk Breakfast. 

“If you take what that means, you would have a capacity on the network - with a couple of other association projects - to have a train every 10 minutes. 

“What it means is that far more people can choose to switch to public transport and also a far expanded Cork commuter rail network.” 

Boosting capacity

By European standards, the number of railway journeys taken in Ireland remains low; of all passenger kilometres travelled in the Republic, only 3% are by train, compared to an European average of 8%. 

It is something Iarnród Éireann hopes to change in the years ahead. 

“Initially, we will be doing works in Oranmore and Galway, an additional passing section and second platform,” Mr Kenny said. 

“We would hope in the future to extend double tracking between Athenry and Galway as we build the frequency there also. 

“If you look at the All Island Rail Review, the ambition is there to expand the role of rail right around the country. 

“There are key sections of our network that would definitely benefit from further tracking - like Portarlington to Athlone, Maynooth to Mullingar - [but] they’re a little further away than this project.” 

Earlier this year, the All-Island Strategic Rail Review reported with 30 recommendations for the Irish Government and Northern Ireland Executive. 

If implemented, the review would cost taxpayers on both sides of the border €36.8 billion over a 30 year period and see the State spend a significant amount on rail infrastructure. 

“As we expand our services, obviously you need to have infrastructure that can support that,” Mr Kenny said. 

“So, it’s very much on the agenda in a number of areas around the country.” 

Carbon emissions

Last year, 19% of Ireland’s emissions came from transport and under the Government’s Climate Action Plan, the sector has been asked to halve its carbon footprint by 2030. 

95% of all transport emissions come from road traffic and a typical train between Dublin and Cork uses 1.6 tonnes of CO2 less than if those passengers were to travel by car.

Main image: Work on Irish Rail track.