Kent Station Through Platform
Project overview
Kent Station in Cork is an intercity and commuter station which initially consisted of five station platforms. It serves intercity trains to and from Dublin and Tralee, and regional commuter services to and from Mallow, Midleton and Cobh.
Service operations at Kent Station have been constrained by the lack of platforms which facilitate the through running of trains. Most services from Mallow, Midleton and Cobh terminate at Kent Station with passengers required to change service to continue an onward journey.
The new platforms 5b and 6 at Kent Station will support the introduction of through running services at the station. The new platforms can allow commuter trains to travel through Kent Station from Mallow and onto Midleton or Cobh without terminating or requiring passengers to change service. This means a better service while offering operational flexibility and the opportunity to increase passenger capacity on the network.
This project is part of the first phase of work undertaken by the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Iarnród Éireann to deliver the rail vision set out in the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS) 2040.
Along with the completion of the Glounthaune to Midleton Twin Tracking, the Proposed Signalling and Communications upgrades and the delivery of a new fleet, the new platforms at Kent Station will allow to facilitate a tripling of service frequency along the line and will ensure a more reliable service.
What are the benefits?
The new platform 6 at Kent Station will ultimately allow through running services and offer a more accessible and improve customer experience for rail users. Works completed included:
- Construction of a 220m long, 6m wide, double sided extension to Platform 5 providing for the new platform 5b and the new Platform 6 and allow ease of integration and connectivity to the existing station.
- An extension of the existing new retaining wall between the new track six and the depot area on the south side.
- Track reconfiguration to support future through running services and proposed service increases
- Reinstatement of the eastern access to the existing station subway from Platform 5
Project Funding
Phase 1 of the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme is primarily funded by the NextGenerationEU recovery instrument and augmented by exchequer funding from the Department of Transport, through the NTA.
The centrepiece of NextGenerationEU is the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) - an instrument that offers grants and loans to support reforms and investments in the EU Member States. RRF funds are being provided to Member States in line with their National Recovery and Resilience plans (NRRP) – the roadmaps to reforms and investments aimed to make EU economies greener, digital and more resilient.
With the further challenges presented by the war in Ukraine, this facility was further opened to support amendments to the NRRPs under REPowerEU - the EU’s plan to rapidly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels, boost the independence and security of the Union’s energy supply and accelerate the green transition.
Under the modified NRRP, Ireland will receive €1.15 billion in grants covering the priorities of Advancing the Green Transition, Accelerating and Expanding Digital Reforms and Transformation, Social and Economic Recovery and Job Creation and REPowerEU.