Iarnród plans major upgrade for Tralee rail line services
A new automatic signalling system is also being introduced on the route, marking the completion of work on the line, costing more than E50 million, which has been invested since 1996. Up to E10m has been spent on upgrading the track between Cork and Cobh.
Iarnród business development manager Andrew Roche said they were seeking expressions of interest from companies to build new carriages with the most modern customer facilities and comforts, at a cost of E2m each.
He said the new regional railcars would be similar to the railcars on the Cork-Cobh route and would operate the Tralee-Mallow/Cork services. They would have improved seating, seat reservation facilities and catering.
Mr Roche told a meeting of Tralee Town Council they were hopeful of receiving funding approval for new regional railcars by year’s end and it would take three years for the regional railcars to be delivered.
He also told councillors that all Tralee-Dublin direct services were run with the same type of carriages as the Cork-Dublin route.
However, he acknowledged local Tralee to Cork services, which connect to Cork-Dublin trains at Mallow, were operated by older rolling stock, about 40 years old, and these were not suitable for today’s needs.
Mr Roche said Iarnród could not be held responsible for the age of these carriages, but there had been a lack of investment in the system for decades. Every effort was made to ensure they were maintained to the best possible level, but because of their age, this was not always possible.
“Because of recent investment, we were now beginning to address the issue of rolling stock and have purchased new InterCity carriages, which is the first purchase in 20 years of new InterCity rolling stock, for the Cork-Dublin route and have plans for the purchase of new regional railcars for the Tralee-Mallow/Cork services,” he said.
Business on the route has increased, with revenue on the Tralee-Dublin route up 44% since 1993.
