Cork's commuter rail upgrade to receive more than €1bn as part of National Development Plan
The plan aims to provide enough capacity for trains to run between Mallow, Midleton, and Cobh every 10 minutes. This would see 16m passenger journeys each year. Picture:iStock
More than €1bn is set to be provided for the development of Cork’s new commuter rail upgrade on Wednesday as part of the updated National Development Plan (NDP) allocations.
Cabinet will approve the Department of Transport’s sectoral plan on Wednesday. It will see an end to the previous government’s commitment to a 2:1 ratio of spending on public transport compared to roads.
Government sources said the new ratio will be closer to 1:1 spending on public transport versus roads.
One source said it would change depending on the year, with overall capital spending on public transport “slightly ahead” of roads.
It is understood that transport minister Darragh O’Brien has secured over €1bn worth of capital funding to go towards the second phase of the Cork area commuter rail programme, which includes eight stations and two park and ride facilities on the city’s northside.
The plan aims to provide enough capacity for trains to run between Mallow, Midleton, and Cobh every 10 minutes. This would see 16m passenger journeys each year.
The new stations would be in Blarney/Stoneview, Monard, Blackpool/Kilbarry, Tivoli, Dunkettle, Ballynoe, Carrigtwohill West, and Water-rock.
Development of new train stations at Blackpool and Dunkettle would take place first, while also enabling electrification works and depot construction.
The delivery manager for the project, AJ Cronin, previously said Irish Rail hoped the railway procurement order for five stations could be sent forward in 2026, with construction to conclude by 2030.
While the first round of public consultation concluded in July, it is expected a further round will take place before any railway order is sought.
The updated plan will also see funds provided to finish out phase one of the rail upgrade, expected to facilitate further housing development in Blackpool, Carrigtwohill, the city quays, and Mahon.
The wider capital allocation is expected to continue the development of BusConnects across Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Galway, and Waterford. Sources said this would include the electrification of the bus fleet.
Previously announced projects, including the M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy motorway, are set to be included in the updated plan.
The motorway, approved by Cabinet in April, is expected to cost €456m, and to be completed by summer 2028.
Cabinet will also sign off on the sectoral plan for the Department of Children, Disability, and Equality.
In total, the department is expected to spend €795m on capital projects between 2026 and 2030, including more early learning and childcare places, additional disability services, capital investment in Tusla, and the construction of playgrounds.
The revised National Development Plan, announced in July, will see €102bn invested into capital projects between 2026 and 2030. Between now and 2035, there will be over €200bn spent on capital projects.
The total funding for the Department of Transport is €22.3bn. The largest capital allocation (€35.9bn) was provided to the Department of Housing. Of this, €28.3bn will fund housing development. Some €7.6bn will support the construction of essential water infrastructure across the country.
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