Latest news with #CorkAreaCommuterRailProgramme
The Journal
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Journal
CART Bai: Ireland's second city is getting its own electrified rail line
IRISH RAIL HAS announced plans to build eight new stations and electrify the commuter line in Co Cork to build the county's equivalent to the capital's DART network. Eight new stations will be added at Blarney/Stoneview, Monard, Blackpool/Kilbarry, Tivoli, Dunkettle, Ballynoe, Carrigtwohill West and Water-Rock. The introduction of an electric fleet hopes to reduce current congestion levels and cut carbon emissions from the line. A new depot at Ballyrichard More will be required for these new carriages. 'CART' services or, as Irish Rail calls it, the 'Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme' will operate every ten miinutes across three commuter lines to Mallow, Midleton and Cobh. Advertisement Those three stops are now set to get a facelift to cater for future increases capacity. All stations will also receive upgrades to their accessibility obligations, to make sure passengers gain unassisted access to services. Two of the new stations, Blarney/Stoneview and Dunkettle, have also been identified as stops best-suitable for park and ride services. It is hope that the upgrades will lead to better connections between rail, bus, cycleways and Cork's future Luas line . Members of the public are asked to come forward during one of its seven upcoming consultation events placed around the Rebel county and online . Transport minister Darragh O'Brien has asked the public in Cork to come forward and read Irish Rail's proposals. Junior transport ministers Seán Canney and Jerry Buttimer have welcomed the second phase of Iarnród Éireann's Cork upgrades. Irish Rail boss Jim Meade and the National Transport Authority's investment manager Marcello Corsi have both encouraged the public to engage with the consultation events. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
13-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Eight new Cork rail stations to go to public consultation
Eight new potential rail stations and other Cork transport works are to be considered in a public consultation next week. The proposals include new stations at Blackpool, Monard, Tivoli, Carrigtwohill West, Water Rock, Ballynoe, Blarney and Dunkettle. A new fleet maintenance depot, which will be designed to cater for an electrified fleet of up to 150 carriages, will also be considered during the public consultation due to open on Wednesday. The proposals are part of the second phase of the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme which, if fully delivered, will enable up to a 10-minute service frequency on all three Cork commuter lines. READ MORE The programme is funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA) under Project Ireland 2040, which also aims to address population growth, job creation and housing needs. It represents the largest investment in the Cork commuter rail network, and is noted as a key project in the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy 2040, which aims to reduce reliance on private vehicles in the area. Phase one of the programme involved the opening of a new platform at Kent Station in April. Commuters can now travel between Mallow in the north of the county and Cobh in the east without having to change trains at Kent. The first phase also incorporated the upgrading of the existing rail line between Glounthaune and Midleton to a twin track, which is expected to be finished next year. The project is set to facilitate a tripling of service frequency along the line. Former minister for transport Eamon Ryan previously said the programme represents 'the largest investment in the rail network in Cork undertaken by the State. It will completely transform transport in and around the city'. The consultation will be launched at Kent Station by Minister of State Jerry Buttimer, and will remain open to public submissions until Wednesday, July 23rd.
Irish Examiner
29-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Funding to electrify Cork rail reaches next EU round
The electrification of Cork's commuter rail service is amongst key investments in the Irish recovery and resilience plan included in the second payment request for €115.5m under the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility. The European Commission endorsed a positive preliminary assessment of Ireland's second payment request under the facility, the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. Following its assessment of the payment request submitted by Ireland in December, the commission has preliminarily concluded that Ireland has satisfactorily completed the 17 milestones and targets set out in the Council Implementing Decision for the second instalment. The payment request supports six reforms and five investments that will benefit citizens and businesses in Ireland, focusing on enterprise emissions reduction, sustainable transport, carbon taxation, digitalisation in schools, businesses, and public administration, as well as ICT skills, healthcare, pensions, and housing. Flagship measures in this payment request include an investment to support the electrification of Cork rail. The Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme is a series of interrelated projects that will ultimately enable train services every 10 minutes across the Cork rail network. The recently opened Platform 6 at Kent Station, together with the Glounthaune-to-Midleton twin-track project and Cork area signalling and communications upgrades – both set for completion in 2026 – will deliver the network capacity to support 10-minute frequencies on each of Cork's three commuter lines, to Cobh, Midleton, and Mallow. Other measures include an investment to provide digital infrastructure to schools. Ireland is investing in high-speed broadband connectivity for primary schools, which will ensure that learners at primary and post-primary schools are equipped with appropriate digital skills and will contribute to addressing digital disparities in Ireland. Ireland is also accelerating the decarbonisation of the enterprise sector with the launch of the Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund, targeting manufacturing enterprises. The fund will provide support for carbon-reducing technologies, energy monitoring systems, and research and innovation. The commission has now sent its preliminary assessment of Ireland's fulfilment of the milestones to the Economic and Financial Committee (EFC), which has four weeks to deliver its opinion, after which payment to Ireland can take place. Read More Expert tells conference what Cork Luas needs to deliver on time and within cost
Irish Examiner
16-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Cork commuter rail services suspended for weekend upgrades
Rail services on the busy Cork commuter routes to Cobh and Midleton will be suspended this weekend to facilitate upgrades designed to treble capacity on the routes. All rail services from the city to Cobh and to Midleton on Saturday and Sunday will be cancelled, with limited bus transfers operating instead. The bus transfer service, running to a revised timetable, will operate between Cork and Cobh, and Cork and Midleton, across the weekend, with direct bus transfers between Cork and Fota during Fota Wildlife Park's opening hours of 9am to 6pm on both days. Customers are advised to check times before travel at or on the Iarnród Éireann app. Iarnród Éireann is shutting down the city's commuter rail services for the weekend so that it can carry out major upgrades on the routes as part of the Cork Area Commuter Rail investment programme. Engineers will complete signalling works as part of the investment, which seeks to treble the capacity of the commuter rail network. They will also work on track renewal to facilitate the twin-tracking of the line between Glounthaune and Midleton. The Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme is a series of interrelated projects that will ultimately enable train services every 10 minutes across the Cork rail network. It is funded by the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility and the National Transport Authority. The recently opened Platform 6 at Kent Station, together with the Glounthaune-to-Midleton twin-track project and Cork area signalling and communications upgrades – both set for completion in 2026 – will deliver the network capacity to support 10-minute frequencies on each of Cork's three commuter lines, to Cobh, Midleton, and Mallow. The upgraded commuter rail network also includes proposals for several new stations, including at Blackpool and Monard, as outlined in the 2010 Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS). Read More Bam wins contract to build €456m M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy motorway
