February Bank Holiday arrangements and preview of works for 2026

26 January 2026

February Bank Holiday rail service arrangements - series of works taking place on a number of routes

Iarnród Éireann has reminded customers that a revised timetable will be in place for the February Bank Holiday weekend.

Customers are advised to check times before travel from Saturday 31st January to Bank Holiday Monday 2nd February inclusive for revised schedules, at www.irishrail.ie or at the Iarnród Éireann app.  Customers are reminded that pre-booking for Intercity travel is strongly advised, particularly at busiest times.

In particular, customers are reminded of works affecting the following routes across the weekend:

• Connolly to Drogheda / Howth works affecting Northside DART, Northern Commuter and Belfast Enterprise
• Portarlington to Athlone works affecting Dublin Heuston to Galway / Westport
• Thurles to Cork / Tralee (Saturday), Charleville to Cork / Tralee (Sunday and Monday) and Cork to Cobh / Midleton (full weekend)

With major investment taking place around the network in 2026, to enhance network capacity and services in response to record demand, Iarnród Éireann has also published its major works programme preview for the full twelve months.  While the vast majority of works take place at night without disrupting services, the preview details those works which will impact on services at selected times during the coming year.

Rail service arrangements

Saturday 31st January to Monday 2nd February: Connolly to Drogheda / Howth

Track renewal and overhead line renewal works will take place at a number of locations, resulting in:

• DART services suspended between Connolly and Howth / Malahide. Dublin Bus and GoAhead will accept rail tickets for affected services.
• Northern Commuter service suspended; limited bus transfers will operate – see www.irishrail.ie for details
• Services on Dublin/Belfast route will involve bus transfers between Dublin and Drogheda, and operate to a revised schedule.

Saturday 31st January to Monday 2nd February: Portarlington to Athlone

Track renewal and platform works will result in:

• Bus transfers will operate between Heuston and Athlone on Heuston to Galway and Heuston to Westport / Ballina routes, to a revised schedule. See www.irishrail.ie for details

Saturday 31st January to Monday 2nd February: Thurles / Charleville to Cork / Kerry; Cork to Cobh / Midleton

Bridge renewal works and resignalling works as part of the Cork Area Commuter Rail programme will result in:

• Bus transfers on Cork to Cobh / Midleton / Mallow Commuter services across full weekend, Saturday 31st January to Monday 2nd February
• Bus transfers between Thurles and Cork / Kerry on Saturday Saturday 31st January
• Bus transfers between Charleville and Cork / Kerry on Sunday 1st and Monday 2nd February

Full service details for the Bank Holiday weekend are available at www.irishrail.ie and the Iarnród Éireann app.

Works preview for 2026 now online

With record investment in therail network under the National Development Plan, Iarnród Éireann is currently undertaking a range of projects, as well as essential maintenance, right across our lines.

Major projects which will be progressed this year include:

• Cork Area Commuter Rail projects, including twin-tracking of the Midleton line (completed in 2026) and resignalling works which - together with the completed new platform at Kent Station - will treble the capacity for Cork commuter rail services
• Works on the new Ceannt Station, Galway (completed in 2026), and relocated Plunkett Station, Waterford
• Works on second platform at Oranmore and associated track works
• DART+ works for recharging facilities for new trains at Drogheda
• DART+ West enabling works on Maynooth and M3 Parkway lines
• Limerick to Foynes line – completed this year
• Continuing overhead line renewal works on the DART network
• Systems testing for the new National Train Control Centre
• Track renewal work, bridge replacemement, points and crossing renewals and other essential infrastructure maintenance and renewal works in a range of locations

Iarnród Éireann has published the overview of major works which will impact services in 2026, at Upcoming Line Improvement Works page.

While the vast majority of works take place overnight, or in a way that sees little or no disruption to services, in some instances disruption is unavoidable. In particular, this will happen if infrastructure teams are replacing or improving essential infrastructure like tracks, bridges, signalling, overhead lines, or helping third parties with major plans.

Iarnród Éireann work to ensure that any such disruption is minimised, and that the number of customers affected is minimised too.