Mallow-Cork-Midleton route could get some of the 90 new carriages on order

Infrastructure improvements around the city and county costing €300m are needed if Cork is to avail of the new fleet of carriages, Cork Chamber said

'Adaptable nature' of the carriages means they could also be deployed in the future for the Cork Area Commuter Rail, potentially serving between Mallow, Cork, Cobh and Midleton, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said. Picture: Dan Linehan

Some of the 90 new train carriages ordered at a cost of almost €180m may be used to bolster the Mallow-Cork-Midleton route, but are not intended to replace plans for the long-mooted light rail system for Cork.

However, necessary infrastructure improvements around the city and county costing €300m are needed if Cork is to avail of the new fleet of carriages, a business organisation has claimed.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan announced this week that the Government has approved the deal, which will facilitate the wider Dart+ Programme extending from Dublin city centre to Drogheda, Co Louth, and Maynooth and Celbridge/ Hazelhatch, Co Kildare.

The “adaptable nature” of the carriages means they could also be deployed in the future for the Cork Area Commuter Rail, potentially serving between Mallow, Cork, Cobh and Midleton, Mr Ryan said.

The language used by both Mr Ryan and Iarnród Éireann stopped short of guaranteeing Cork would see a share of the new carriages.

There was also speculation that using some of the 90 carriages for improvements on the Mallow-Cork-Midleton route could come instead of the long-awaited light rail system for Cork, but Iarnród Éireann insisted the plans are separate to one another.

It did say, however, that using some of the new 90 carriages on the Cork line is "subject to funding for necessary infrastructure works, notably charging facilities".

Cork Chamber, the body representing 1,200 businesses in the region, said the 90-carriage investment was welcome. 

Cork Chamber chief executive Conor Healy said: "In line with the plans set out in the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (Cmats), the Cork Suburban Rail Network should be the key beneficiary of this investment. However, for this to happen, investment of approximately €300m is required in enabling infrastructure to facilitate the use of these carriages in Cork.

"It is not clear that the necessary commitments have been made by Government regarding this infrastructure funding and clarity is now required if Cork is to benefit from these carriages." 

The 90-carriage order is the second large haul in the past year, following an order of 95 carriages for the DART+ network placed in December 2021.

Landmark deal

It is part of a landmark deal that will see 750 new rail carriages for Dublin's Dart system over 10 years.

Iarnród Éireann's deal with French train manufacturing specialist Alstom is the "largest and most sustainable ever order of fleet for Ireland’s public transport network", the national rail firm said when it was announced last December.

"Alstom is one of the largest global suppliers of trains, and is well-known to Irish transport users as the supplier of the Luas tram fleet, and globally as the manufacturer of TGV high-speed trains. 

"Alstom will deliver this new fleet as an energy efficient suburban transport solution from its proven X’Trapolis family of trains, with over 2,000 of these already in service in more than 10 countries, but with bespoke refinements to meet the needs of Irish customers and Ireland’s specific track gauge," a spokesperson for Iarnród Éireann said.

The new 90-carriage order means high capacity with wide gangways between carriages, low-height doorway thresholds being equipped with an automatic retractable step, dedicated family and bicycle storage areas, and charging facilities for everything from mobile phones to e-bikes and e-scooters, the rail firm said.

It added there would be customer information onboard, with large high-resolution displays having the ability to provide real-time updates, including information from other public transport systems in the Transport for Ireland network, and other features designed for the needs of sensory impaired customers.