2026-01-15

104. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Transport if plans are in place to progress the double-tracking of the rail line between Athenry and Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1763/26]

Athenry as a town is growing at a rapid rate. The town has been without a bus for a year and our trains are completely wedged. I welcome the investment in Ceannt Station in Galway, bringing it from a two-platform to a five-platform station. I welcome the investment in the passing loop at Oranmore to increase frequencies. However, I have to ask whether there is any plan to double-track the line from Galway city to Athenry.

I thank the Deputy for the question and I wish to confirm straight off that my Department is working with the National Transport Authority and Iarnród Éireann to progress a number of rail projects in Galway, including double-tracking the line between Athenry and Galway. In order to progress this project, Iarnród Éireann has appointed a multidisciplinary engineering consultancy, and the Galway line capacity study commenced last summer, so the work is in hand at the moment. The development of an emerging preferred option is expected to be identified later this year. Separately, and related, as the Deputy said, works commenced at Oranmore Station last October. This project will provide an additional platform and a passing loop. This will increase capacity on the Galway to Athenry line. The project is scheduled to be completed next year and will be of immediate benefit to the route. Work is also progressing on Ceannt Station. These works, which are scheduled to be completed later this year, will increase the number of platforms from two to five, which will support the growth of train service frequencies envisioned under the all-island strategic rail review. In order to start making the vision set out in the rail review a reality, the NDP sectoral investment plan for transport, which my Department published in November, provides funding to advance a number of early interventions by 2030, including new passing loops and platforms to boost rail connectivity and resilience. Included in these early interventions are new platforms at Clara and Woodlawn on the Galway line which will support journey times. The sectoral plan also provides funding to commence the construction of the reinstatement of the western rail corridor between Claremorris and Athenry. I look forward to seeing these projects being delivered in the years ahead. This morning I met the chief executive of Iarnród Éireann to get a progress report on the works that are going on right across the country in terms of the all-island rail review. I am happy to say that progress is being made and that last year we had 55 million journeys on rail. We are now talking about rail in a fashionable way as opposed to how we were talking about for the past 20 years, which was talking about closing it down. We are now in expansion and growth mode, and that is what we will be doing.

I really appreciate the update and the fact that it is being looked at and that a team has been appointed to design a preferred option. However, I have to re-emphasise that Athenry is a town with a population of over 5,000 and currently has 200 homes under construction across four different sites. Things are going great for the town. Jobs are coming but that access to Galway city is vital but right now a town with over 5,000 people has no bus service. Our trains are completely wedged in the morning. I know that the trains and carriages are on their way but they cannot come quickly enough. The people are crying out for them and they want to see this happen. The double tracking is critical because that would enable a direct commuter link from Athenry to Galway city. The passing loop at Woodlawn as per the sectoral plan is vital as well because that would drastically reduce intercity times. All of this is progress but the Minister of State has to understand how serious it is right now in Athenry. There has been no bus service for over a year and trains are completely wedged.

Deputy Butterly, did you wish to come in on this?

Yes. County Louth, where there are 140,000 people-----

Ah Jesus, what has that got to do with Athenry?

The Deputy is allowed to speak.

The Deputy is allowed to ask the question.

It is based on rail, Deputy Mac Lochlainn. With a population of 140,000, County Louth is growing and houses are spawning at an accelerated rate. Our businesses are growing and we are attracting businesses into the county, month after month. However, our two train stations are jammed. There is no parking and there is no facility. I listened earlier when the Minister of State talked about how we have to be ambitious, and we are ambitious, but it is now time to have a serious conversation about a third railway station. We have the land zoned in Drogheda and it would make sense to have another train station in Drogheda, or north of it. However, if we are truly ambitious, surely we should consider a brownfield site half way between Dundalk and Drogheda and really plan for the future.

I thank the Deputy for raising that issue. As someone who has been in politics since 2004, I am glad to see the demands that are now coming for rail and for investment in rail. At that time, the agenda was to close down the railways and people continued with that up to two or three years ago. I am glad to see that my colleagues in the constituency have seen the light of day and are now supporting the implementation of and investment in rail. It is a success story and we are now in growth and investment mode. There are 285 new carriages on order at the moment, with a total of 750 to be procured over the next number of years. That is an investment. What is happening at the moment is that we have demand that is growing every year and that is great. What we have to do is make sure we, as a Government, provide the investment to make sure we can meet that demand and give a good experience to the passenger. The idea of a new train station for Louth has a lot of merit. We need to get the population there travelling by public transport rather than by cars and all that goes with that. Over the next number of year, I will look forward to making sure we invest. My two colleagues here are totally behind me on that.

For fear there would be any confusion, I invite the Minister of State to look back through my social media since I was elected in politics in 2019. He will see that month on month, I consistently raised the need for the passing loop at Oranmore. On radio and in local media I have consistently pushed for the double tracking. Those projects are vital and they will be delivered but this has to be done collegially and together. I look forward to working with the Minister of State in the constituency to make that happen. We have a town that is growing at a rapid rate and the commuter service and the access to the city before 9 a.m. are vital. I appreciate the work that is being done but I would definitely invite the Minister of State to look back through my social media and I think he might be pleasantly surprised.

When mentioned colleagues, I was not referring to Deputy Dolan but he knows the history of what people were trying to do. They were trying to close down lines and they were from political parties and none. Basically, I am saying that agenda is gone. What we need to do now is to work together to make sure we deliver what we can deliver. We have the will to do it and Iarnród Éireann is capable of doing it. We will start in a logical way. We are going to make sure that Ceannt Station is capable. In the meantime, while we are getting the double tracking done, we will get a passing loop and a new station at Oranmore. We are also going to open up the line between Athenry and Claremorris, so that we can service the west of Ireland. I know well the Deputy supports all of that. The agenda has changed and people are demanding investment. They are getting the investment and we will continue to do that. Not everything is going to happen at the one time. We have set out our strategic plan for investment over the next five years and beyond. When I met representatives of Irish Rail this morning, I got their programme. They are looking at the next 15 to 20 years. I am looking forward to seeing all of that being delivered, as the Deputy is.

It is wonderful to have that clarified and those in the constituencies are working together.

Yes, I thank the Leas-Ceann Comhairle.