Shannon and Cork port rail links form key elements of plan to grow rail freight

Iarnród Eireann said it plans to establish the rail connection at Marino Point in Cork Harbour. Picture: Denis Scannell

Re-establishing rail connections to Foynes Port in Limerick and Marino Point in Cork are key elements of Iarnród Éireann’s Rail Freight Strategy that will support the creation of up to 8,000 new jobs, mostly in the regions.

The strategy document aims to see a five-fold increase in the number of rail freight services, to more than 100 new weekly services across the rail network by 2040. It states that reconnecting the port of Foynes on the Shannon estuary to the rail network will drive growth in bulk and intermodal traffic and support opportunities with mining and offshore wind power generation.