IARNRÓD Éireann have confirmed that they are to expand capacity on rail services between Limerick and Ennis.
According to a reply to a Parliamentary Question raised by Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara, Iarnród Éireann intend to spend almost €1million on the service over the next two years.
The company is seeking to invest €300,000 on the service this year, with a further €400,000 investment planned for 2024.
The company said the investment is subject to funding and the project is successfully progressing through the various approvals.
Deputy McNamara said that the development was to be welcomed and will go some way towards the government’s target of reducing the amount of cars on Irish roads.
“Investing in and expanding sustainable transport across Ireland will be key to the Government achieving its stated ambition of reducing car use by 20 per cent by 2030 and for half of all journeys to be made on foot, bicycle, or public transport.”
“Significant investment must be made in rail services between Ennis and Limerick City, including the reduction in the journey time and expanding the frequency of daily services,” Deputy McNamara said.
“Responding to my request for details of the investment planned by Iarnród Éireann for its network in County Clare during 2023 and 2024, the company said investment in the maintenance and the renewal of the railway infrastructure continues across all routes including in County Clare,” added Deputy McNamara.
“This includes upgrades to assets, improvements to bridges and other structures and improvements to track and other assets such as level crossings. A total of €2.8m will be invested under the Infrastructure Manager Multi-annual contract (IMMAC) in County Clare in 2023.”
