Cork's €1.5bn commuter rail service will have 'multi-generational impact', says project leader

It includes proposals for eight new commuter rail stations in the metropolitan region, five of which could be built by 2030

The public consultation begins on Phase 2 of the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme which includes eight new stations.

The €1.5bn investment in developing a commuter rail service in Cork will have a “multi-generational impact” lasting up to a century, the man overseeing the massive project has said.

Irish Rail’s AJ Cronin, the delivery manager for the Cork Area Commuter Rail (CACR) programme, was speaking as Irish Rail launched a public consultation on the second phase of the programme, which includes proposals for eight new commuter rail stations in the metropolitan region, five of which could be built by 2030.

The company has now published detailed maps and a raft of reports linked to Phase 2 and invited feedback on its preferred locations for:

• the train stations at Blarney/Stoneview, Monard, Blackpool/Kilbarry, Tivoli, Dunkettle, Ballynoe, Carrigtwohill West and Water-Rock;
• two new park-and-ride facilities on the city’s northside, one at the Blarney station near Blarney Business Park, and one at the Blackpool station near Blackpool Shopping Centre;
• for a new fleet depot near Water-Rock in East Cork;
• its proposals for the full electrification of the fleet.

A second round of consultation will be held before a planning application is made next year.

Mr Cronin said Irish Rail wants to fast-track the delivery of the stations, with demand-study reports already justifying the construction of five, which could be built by 2030 pending planning and funding approval.

Other stations, including Monard and Ballynoe, are in areas earmarked for thousands of new homes, and will be delivered as the housing is delivered.

The CACR is the largest ever investment in the region's rail network and aims to provide high-frequency capacity for trains to run up to every 10 minutes across each of the three commuter lines to Mallow, Midleton, and Cobh – handling up to 16 million passenger journeys a year.

Mr Cronin said:

The impact of delivering significant rail infrastructure is for 100-plus years. It’s multi-generational, and will support long-term growth in the economy and in the city and country region.

Work on Phase 1 of CACR involves an estimated €400m investment in the twin-tracking of the line to East Cork and new signalling systems along the three commuter lines, both due for completion next year, and construction of a new through-platform at Kent Station, completed in April.

Lord Mayor of Cork, Green Party Cllr Dan Boyle, said new stations at locations like Blackpool and Dunkettle could actually be built by 2028, and said it’s a case of build it and they will come.

“It will be used. We have made the start, we are doing more than we’ve done before, and we can physically see the changes having a benefit, in terms of more train services, more people using public transport,” he said.

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“If we don’t invest and don’t do the work quickly, we are running to stand still. In fact we are running backwards up a hill."

Chief executive of Cork City Council, Valerie O’Sullivan, said for every euro the State invests in projects like this in Ireland’s second city, “the country will get it back in spades”.

“This is an exemplar of plan-led development – looking at where our growth is going to be and building for that growth,” she said.

“Cork City won’t be a car-focused city in the future. It cannot be, it’s just not sustainable as we grow to 335,000 people.”