Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

157. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to provide an update on plans to improve rail transportation services in Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42226/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that good progress has been made in advancing rail investment in Galway. The construction contract for the upgrade of Ceannt Station in Galway was awarded in November 2023. Works on this project are currently on-going and construction is anticipated to be completed by mid-2026.

Iarnród Éireann lodged planning permission applications in September for a new platform and second track through Oranmore Station, to increase train frequency, which will allow more trains to operate between Galway and Athenry.

The Infrastructure Managers Multi Annual Contract (IMMAC) provides a multi-annual investment programme to protect our national railway system by funding maintenance and safety projects needed to maintain safety and service levels in railway operations, including the Dublin to Galway line which serves Woodlawn, Attymon, Athenry, Oranmore and Galway. Approximately €1.3bn in Exchequer funding will have been allocated towards the protection and renewal of the national rail network through the current IMMAC contract, which runs from 2020 to 2024.

The All-Island Strategic Rail Review by the Department of Transport in cooperation with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. The Review’s Final Report was published in July 2024.

The Final Report sets out 32 strategic recommendations to enhance and expand the rail system in Ireland and Northern Ireland up to 2050, aligning with net carbon zero commitments in both jurisdictions. In relation to Galway, the Review recommends:

• Increased intercity service frequencies to at least hourly between Dublin and Galway;
• Providing more direct services between Ireland’s West and South Coasts, including between Galway and Limerick;
• Reinstatement of the Western Rail Corridor between Claremorris and Athenry; and
• Electrification the Dublin and Galway route.