For decades, Ireland’s rail network was a story of sad steady decline from what many would view as a golden era where even small remote villages were served. Nowhere is this decline more evident than in Co Donegal, which in the first half of the 20th century had one of Europe’s largest narrow-gauge networks, some 225 miles long. Passengers in remote locations such as Inver, Rossnowlagh, Ballybofey and Glenties could catch a train, with a connection to Derry, among many local travel possibilities. By 1960, there was no train service in the county.
That pattern was repeated across much of the Republic and in Northern Ireland, with around half of the 1920 peak rail track coming out of commission. Despite his many good acts of public service, for many the name of Todd Andrews, chairman of CIE from 1958 to 1970, will forever be associated with closing railway lines, including the Harcourt Street line in Dublin, later partially restored as the Luas Green line.
The economic case for closing the lines was clear and bus and car transport were seen as the future. Population growth and Ireland’s climate change agenda, however, have accelerated the case for enhancing Ireland’s rail connectivity.
The All Ireland Strategic Rail Review, published last year, is an ambitious plan by both governments on the island to deliver what they describe as “transformational improvements in the quality, speed and frequency of rail services on the island”.
RM Block
One of the aims of the plan is for many more journey times to become significantly faster than by car, although the review ruled out developing a large high-speed rail system because of concerns that the carbon generated by its construction would not be offset by downstream carbon reductions, as well as for value-for-money reasons.
The plan, costed at €35-37 billion at 2023 prices, includes more direct services between Ireland’s largest cities, significantly improving connectivity from the northeast to the southwest of the island and potentially quadrupling service frequencies between key cities. In terms of support for regional development, the number of people living within 5km of a railway station could grow by 700,000, a 25 per cent increase on current levels. Rail links would also be delivered to Dublin, Belfast and Shannon airports, with around 90 per cent of aviation passengers able to access them by rail.
Reducing carbon emissions is a key aspect of the plan. Rail already typically emits around 75 per cent less emissions than a petrol or diesel vehicle on the road, while battery, electric and hydrogen systems are also being explored to complement the electrification of the network.
While there is broad support for the plan, challenges remain. Ireland’s record on delivering large infrastructure projects on time and on budget is poor. Economic shocks and budget constraints can also see projects scaled down, delayed or cancelled – and not just in Ireland. Witness Dublin’s Metro North project, for example, or consider the fate of Britain’s HS2 project.
The plan will also require a major upgrade to the State’s grid infrastructure, long procurement pipelines for rolling stock and rethinking of how investment is phased, while rail will also be competing with other demands on Ireland’s already stretched electricity supply, which may bring further complications, according to an assessment of the plan by Gardiner and Theobold Market Intelligence.
The assessment notes that delivery will require sustained political commitment, rigorous commercial planning and a coalition of public, private, and community actors; but on a more positive note, it says that if the country can maintain momentum through the 2020s, it has a real chance of building a rail system fit for the 21st century.
“Ireland’s rail transformation is not just about tracks and trains – it’s about reshaping the economic geography of the country. A 2050 rail network that is electrified, connected and inclusive can serve as the backbone of a green transition, a spatial rebalancing and a productivity surge,” the study notes.
That “spatial rebalancing” is likely to be a key driving force within the plan, with new and reinstated lines, including the Western Corridor, linking Galway to Sligo, the Wexford-Rosslare line and a new Dublin-Navan line, boosting areas that have traditionally been neglected in infrastructure planning.
Significant impacts will be felt in the neglected northwest part of the island, on both sides of the border. While Glenties, Killybegs and most of the surrounding county won’t get their rail connections restored, a planned service to Letterkenny means Donegal will no longer remain a barren railway county.
