No current plans to add extra Athlone rail services despite overcrowding
By Rebekah O'Reilly
Irish Rail has said it's not currently in a position to increase capacity or introduce additional services on the Dublin-Galway railway line, despite overcrowding issues on trains at peak times.
However the transport service said it is working on a series of infrastructure projects aimed at improving capacity on the route in the coming years.
Dublin to Galway and Dublin to Westport services serve stations across the Midlands, including Portarlington, Tullamore, Clara, Athlone, and Ballinasloe.
In a response to a query from this newspaper, Irish Rail said it was already operating all available trains on a daily basis, outside of essential maintenance and repair work, as it seeks to meet rising passenger demand.
During an appearance before the Tullamore Municipal District last week, Irish Rail outlined a series of initiatives which it said will help to increase capacity in the coming years, including "second platforms and passing loop sections of track at Clara and Woodlawn," which it said are being targeted for completion by 2030.
Irish Rail spokesperson Barry Kenny said it had introduced a number of additional services on the Galway-Dublin route over the past three years in response to increased demand. However, he said the combination of those services and improved frequencies on other routes meant the available fleet was now being fully utilised.
"This means that, at this time, we would not be in a position to increase capacity or operate additional services," Mr Kenny stated.
Despite the current limitations, Irish Rail outlined a number of planned investments and infrastructure improvements which it said would help examine options for additional services on the Dublin-Galway route.
Among these is the provision of a second platform and passing loop section of track at Oranmore, which is scheduled for completion in 2027.
The company also pointed to investment in new DART trains for the greater Dublin area, with the new fleet due to be phased in from 2027 onwards. Mr Kenny said that, while the new DART trains will be used to serve Dublin, their addition will "free up Intercity and Commuter trains currently operating in the greater Dublin area to be used on other routes around the network".
"Their deployment will be subject to review with and the approval of the National Transport Authority, subject to demand and infrastructure capacity at the time," he said.
Irish Rail also confirmed it is continuing work on a comprehensive 'Galway Line Capacity Enhancement Project', which will examine the railway corridor between Portarlington and Galway, which serves Tullamore, Clara, Athlone, and Ballinasloe in the Midlands.
The study is designed to "identify optimum solutions to deliver increased frequency" along the line. Public consultation on the Galway Line Capacity Enhancement project is expected to take place in early 2027, allowing the public to contribute to the process of identifying potential options.
In the longer term, the All-Island Strategic Rail Review envisages full double-tracking between Athenry and Galway in order to support commuter services, increase services on the Dublin-Galway route and facilitate the expansion of the Western Rail Corridor.
Irish Rail also pointed to the DART+ South West project, which is expected to deliver four tracks into Dublin Heuston Station, alongside other infrastructure improvements.
The additional tracks are expected to improve capacity for rail services travelling to and from Heuston, including Intercity services operating to destinations across the country.