Irish Rail records surplus of €2.5m despite 64% drop in passengers

Passenger revenue accounted for €133m of the decrease with revenue from intercity services down 55% to €61.4m

The company received €21m from the Government stimulus package and €14.6m from the wage support schemes. File picture: Dan Linehan

Iarnród Éireann recorded a net surplus of €2.5m last year with the assistance of State supports, despite a 64% reduction in passenger numbers due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The latest annual accounts of the company show the annual surplus decreased by 40% as passenger numbers fell from a record high of 50.1m in 2019 to 17.9m. The impact of the pandemic saw overall revenue drop from €297.4m in 2019 to €143.7m last year – an annual decrease of 52%.