Thirty-two proposals to revive long-neglected sections of the island, boost service frequency, and quicken train speeds between cities are included in the final All-Island Rail Review. Prior to its joint release with Northern Ireland’s Infrastructure Minister, John O’Dowd, Ireland’s Transport Minister Eamon Ryan dubbed it “the most ambitious vision for rail in a century,” reports The Mirror.
Additionally, it would result in a 25% increase in the number of people living within 5 km of a railway station throughout the island—700,000 extra people—while 90% of travellers by air will be able to ride a train to the airport.
Proposals include a new direct route from Lisburn to Newry, which may shorten travel times between the north and south, and connecting the rail network to the airports at Shannon, Belfast International, and Dublin.
Along with reconnecting Derry and Portadown with stations at Strabane, Omagh, and Dungannon, the restoration of a previous line that once connected Portadown with Mullingar via Armagh and Cavan is also included, reports The Mirror.
The proposals also include a rail route from Derry to Letterkenny, but the people behind it have decided not to include trains that would return to Enniskillen, thus Co Fermanagh is the only county on the island without a rail connection.
The proposals are expected to cost between €35 billion and €37 billion at 2023 pricing, with Ireland paying 75% of the total cost and the North 25%. The project might take 26 years to complete.
Arup conducted a study that might see intercity trains reach 200 km/h (125 mph) in an effort to make rail travel more rapid than driving a car, reports The Mirror.
Hourly services between Belfast and Dublin are anticipated to begin as early as September, coinciding with the opening of the new Belfast Grand Central rail station. Work on a new, more environmentally friendly Enterprise fleet for the route has already begun.
To increase east-west connection, more services are also planned between Dublin and Galway.
The Republic would restore the line on the southeast coast that connects Wexford with Waterford, as well as the Western Rail Corridor that runs between Claremorris and Athenry, reports The Mirror.
“It is the most ambitious vision for rail in a century, bringing us forward to a new age of rail,” stated Eamon Ryan, Ireland’s minister of transport and climate.
Rail serves as a fantastic connection, facilitating increased regional accessibility and balanced regional growth, in addition to enabling us to move more passengers and freight in a more sustainable manner.
The report offers a number of recommendations as well as a long-term strategy for the island’s rail network’s sustainable growth, reports The Mirror.
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