All-Island Strategic Rail Review - Iarnród Éireann update

10 June 2025

Overview

The All-Island Strategic Rail Review (AISRR), developed by the Department of Transport and Department for Infrastructure (NI) is a strategic, ambitious framework to develop rail for the long-term requirements of the country, the environment and the economy. 

Today’s rail network began over 190 years ago – it is an incredibly strategic asset, that must be planned beyond short-term economic cycles.

What we build today, and what is outlined in the Review will benefit us for centuries, through:

• Balanced regional development, aligned with the National Planning Framework
• Unlocking land for housing, through transport-oriented development, and facilitating sustainable development which will be supported through the planning system
• Transforming the capacity of our rail network for passenger and freight services to be the backbone of Ireland’s sustainable transport network, and allowing people and goods to travel and be transported more sustainably.

The ambition is right. The horizon is right. For the next 25 years – the AISRR presents a framework strategy and an ambitious vision for the development of rail in Ireland. Building on and from the existing network, it proposes infrastructure and services that realise the potential of rail to be the backbone of a sustainable transport system for Ireland, for both passenger and freight traffic.

It is an enabler for the type of housing and strategic land development we need to facilitate Ireland’s growth at the beginning of the State’s second century.

What will it deliver?

1. A more extensive and resilient network, with new rail routes, and double-tracking and four-tracking of key locations to enable improved speeds and higher frequency of services. We will move from just over 50 million journeys per annum today to 180 million journeys, and new routes will bring more than 700,000 additional people within five kilometers of a railway station.

2. Faster and more frequent services, to make rail the mode of choice for inter-urban rail travel.

3. Sustainability through decarbonisation of rail: electrification of core lines, and emerging fuel options on other lines, including battery-electric, hydrogen and biofuels.

How does it build on current investment, including the National Development Plan?

The current National Development Plan (NDP) represents the first of three “Decades of Delivery” with projects benefiting the national network, sustainable transport for our major cities, and the expansion of the role of passenger and rail freight all underway.

Delivering direct benefit themselves, the projects in the current NDP are also essential prerequisites to the ambition of the AISRR, and include:

• DART+ Programme: Doubling capacity and trebling electrification of Greater Dublin rail network
• Cork Area Commuter Rail: delivering a 10-minute frequency on all three commuter routes to/from Cork (Cobh, Midleton, Mallow), as well as eight new stations, a new depot and electrification
• National Train Control Centre: New train management system and train control centre for full national network and future expansion, delivering safety and performance benefits
• Galway investment: New five-platform Ceannt Station for future expansion, and second platform and second track section at Oranmore
• Limerick investment: New interchange station (opened 2024) as well as new stations, and capacity enhancements
• Waterford: new station as part of integrated public transport hub, within the Waterford North Quays development
• Rail Freight 2040: boosting rail freight’s share of the market to European norms - Limerick to Foynes line under construction, opening in 2026, 150 new freight wagons on order, Inland freight terminal proposals in development.
• New Enterprise fleet: Sustainable fleet to deliver faster, more frequent services
• New stations: as well as Cork area stations, new stations at Woodbrook (opening 2025), Moyross, Ballysimon, Cabra, Kylemore and more to come
• Navan Rail line: extending the Clonsilla to M3 Parkway line to Navan, with public consultation commencing in 2025
• East Coast Rail Infrastructure Protection Projects: Climate resilience programme of investment along the Dublin to Rosslare line
• Capacity enhancement: studies progressing for a range of routes, including Wicklow, Limerick to Galway, Limerick to Limerick Junction, Galway to Dublin

What happens next?

Iarnród Éireann is working with the Department of Transport, European Investment Bank, National Transport Authority and others on the preparation of a plan to implement the All-Island Strategic Rail Review recommendations, including a comprehensive investment plan for the next ten years.

Priority projects have been identified, with these now being analysed in further detail, focusing on upgrades of the existing Intercity network to increase service frequencies, capacity, reduce journey times and decarbonise through electrification and use of emerging renewable fuels.

The priority over the years to 2030 will be to increase service frequencies across intercity lines, facilitated by the cascade of fleet from the Dublin commuter area as new DART+ units are introduced there, while plans are progressed for substantive infrastructure interventions. Such service frequency increases will build on the introduction of an hourly service pattern between Dublin and Belfast in October last, further Dublin – Galway and Dublin – Waterford services also added last year, all of which have received a strong demand response.