Irish Rail backs the opening of new railway stations between Cork and Limerick

Cork County Council's calls for funding to reopen stations serving North Cork have won the backing of Iarnród Éireann

Iarnród Éireann CEO Jim Meade responded positively to proposals for new train stations on the Cork to Limerick line. Picture: Paul Sherwood

Irish Rail says it will lend its support in principle to Cork County Council’s calls for State funding to open railways stations to serve three areas in North Cork.

The council wants new stations opened on the Cork - Limerick line at Mourneabbey and Rathduff, and the station at Buttevant reopened. It has remained closed since August 1980 following the worst rail crash in the State’s history which claimed 18 lives.

The council recently wrote to Irish Rail asking it to look favourably on the project and has now received a reply from the company’s chief executive, Jim Meade, who said Irish Rail will lend its support to any effort the council might make to get funding through the National Development Plan’s (NDP) Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF).

Mr Meade said new stations are funded through government and/or local development contributions. The latter are made to councils by housing developers to provide infrastructure supports to make their projects sustainable.

He said it's unlikely there will be any major development contributions in the areas mentioned to fund such stations and thus the RRDF is the best option to progress such a project.

"While bearing in mind the need for a positive business case [to be drawn up], this is perhaps an issue that could be pursued with the local authority in the context of its rural settlement development objectives. 

Iarnród Éireann would lend its support to an application for funding on the basis of a positive business plan.

The news was welcomed by several councillors, including Mourneabbey-based Fine Gael councillor Liam Madden, who was the first to raise the issue.

Both he and other councillors got agreement from their officials that the council seek a meeting with Irish Rail, the National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and communities in North Cork in an effort to progress the opening of the stations.

Fianna Fáil councillor Gearóid Murphy said the National Transport Authority (NTA) must be involved in discussions because of the role it plays in the NDP. 

Referring to Mr Meade’s letter, Mr Murphy said: 

It’s quite a positive letter actually. It suggests there's a way for the council to progress this. 

Mallow-based Fianna Fáil councillor Pat Hayes said more stations on the line would cut down on carbon footprint and make communities in those areas more sustainable.

Both he and Mr Madden said further stations are to be added along the Cork-Midleton line, and couldn’t see why the same couldn’t happen on the Cork-Limerick line as well.

Labour councillor James Kennedy, who is also Mallow-based, said creating stations in the three North Cork areas would cut down on traffic jams, especially as many people from the region commute by car on a daily basis to work in Cork City.