Darrman

Some of the dots on the map are a bit off, but there is a textual list of "early interventions" for completion by 2030. In order: Reinstate Mosney loop and use Skerries loop more on the Belfast line Bring Sligo platform 2 and the disused Enfield platform back into use and build a loop somewhere between Sligo and Boyle on the Sligo line Build second platforms at Clara and Woodlawn on the Galway line Build a passing loop west of Claremorris on the Mayo line Build another platform at Limerick Junction and a passing loop east of Clonmel on Limerick-Waterford Build a spur at Portadown to future-proof the Derry Road later on The general justifications are for increased service frequencies and improved resilience: hourly Sligos and two-hourly Mayos (presumably Westports) are mentioned, along with two-hourly Limerick-Waterford services. The Limerick Junction platform is stated to save 10 minutes on Limerick-Waterford journey times, so presumably would get rid of the reversal there, while it's also mentioned to facilitate Cork-Galway services. Where would you put this platform? My gut would put it immediately after the flat crossing near platform 4, but that would be useless for Cork-Galway service. Putting one before Keane's Points would be a long walk for the passenger. Maybe the plan is to just rebuild the whole thing? A "reconfiguration" is given in the major project pipeline. As for the more vague loop positions given, I'd assume they'd reinstate Ballymote, Castlebar, and Carrick-on-Suir loops, and all stations have disused platforms and are roughly halfway between the loops in either direction. You could make a case to have the loop at Manulla for the Mayo line instead and open it for standard passenger service.

https://www.railwaygazette.com/traction-and-rolling-stock/electro-diesel-stadler-flirt-trains-selected-to-renew-dublin-belfast-enterprise-fleet/70100.article It seems like the contract's been signed now. (It'll be a right mess if CAF win their case after this point, as far as I know the stay on the contract signature was lifted, but the case wasn't thrown out.) It's a Flirt variant, running on the Dart's wires and on diesel the rest of the time. Some small batteries are included for short movements. There will be toilets and provision for catering is given. Delivery scheduled for 2028, in service from 2030.

So I bought this recently and have started putting things together. Right now I've just recreated Dublin as it is, though with the Northern quadrupled and a few loops everywhere else in presumably laughably unrealistic locations. A lot of time was spent in the books calculating rolling stock numbers and then dreaming about how many more services you could slip in if 2700s were built better and lasted more than ten years, among other such things. I haven't even gone past the Dart (Plus) and Heuston-Connolly on the Luas, there's a lot more to go. And yes, there are stubs towards Broadstone and Harcourt Street.

https://www.rte.ie/news/2025/1125/1545724-ranelagh-challenge-metro/ To the surprise of absolutely nobody, there's a judicial review. Several of the objectors have previously objected to there being a station near them. The application for a review will be heard on Monday. See you in two years when it gets thrown out if I call this coin toss correctly?

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/wicklow/arklow-news/update-given-on-reopening-of-two-wicklow-train-stations-on-dublin-to-rosslare-line/a406364144.html The study has been completed and although there's no technical barriers, the passenger demand isn't there and it's not worth the money. The NTA are similarly cool on another DSER proposal to reopen Glenealy. They'd much rather swing the axe-- ahem, I mean introduce a shuttle from Greystones to Rosslare. They're still considering it, as this Independent article says. Aren't intercity trains meant to have higher priority than commuter ones? Not in this country, apparently.

I'd be surprised if there was any more than a few Limerick-Claremorris trains a day: I'd say Galway would be the main start and finish point for trains. The extension to five platforms will facilitate increased frequencies on all routes. As for the route itself, I've mused about this a few years ago earlier in the thread but I'd still be surprised if any intermediate stations other than Tuam opened. The Wikipedia quip is outdated at least: Ballyglunin has an article there now. Ballindine is roughly on par with Ardrahan and Milltown is smaller still, so I wouldn't expect them to reopen. But Ardrahan did reopen, so you'd never know. One more point: while I assume no major realignments will take place, there are four level crossings of the N17, three in fairly close succession around Ballindine and in towards Claremorris. Would safety standards demand any bridging of these at expense?

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/mayo/news/irish-rail-hopes-to-have-western-rail-corridor-construction-underway-before-2030/a1540391420.html Irish Rail's CEO says the company hopes to have construction underway by 2030, with design and feasibility studies currently in progress. If money wasn't an object Athenry-Claremorris "could be delivered in three years", but it is mentioned there is no broader funding for the project currently. The hope appears to be it getting listed in the National Development Plan.

https://www.ilovelimerick.ie/moyross-train-station-planning-permission/ This piece is a bit confusingly worded: planning permission's been granted, but a "final grant of planning" will come in a few weeks. So has it been granted or not? Things appear to be moving at any rate.

https://www.dartplus.ie/en-ie/projects/dart-coastal-south/public-consultation-1/emerging-preferred-option Public consultation for Dart+ South's first phase has begun. Resignalling and general linear works will be taken between Bray and Greystones, along with cutting back Bray Platform 1 to fit in an extra crossover, as in the picture below. It will still be long enough to fit a full Dart. (From the Dart+ website.) The target is getting a train to Greystones every 20 minutes. No extensive double-tracking across "Brunel's Folly", which would be prohibitively expensive anyway. Planning application scheduled to be submitted Q4 2026. No word on Irish Rail's own channels, but the Independent claims construction will start in 2028 and take two years. It also claims planning will start Q3 2026, so pinches of salt are required.

Nothing to do with Slieve Gullion, but what are those last few 141s doing in Inchicore anyway? I assume they're being kept for spares for the RPSI/maybe the other Irish Rail GMs? A stupid question, maybe, but have Maam Cross looked into getting one of them? Hardly essential when we have plenty of preserved 141s, but I may as well ask it.

Three whole years between application and permission. I can see it now: the day before the objection window closes, someone in the depths of Donegal will lodge an objection on some spurious grounds. I hope I'm wrong!

I'd love to go on the Navan Branch once in my life. It's not going to happen. With no Taras, there's no traffic. I'm not going to hold my breath for Drogheda-Navan shuttles. Even if we found the magic money tree and made it a heritage line, there's not many heritage lines seventeen miles long (the distance between Drogheda and Navan). A line two miles or so out of Navan would probably be a small bit more practical, but I'm not one particularly optimistic. Tangentially relevant, are there any other (as good as) disused lines a heritage group could hypothetically (pretend there's community buy-in and millions of euro) take over left? Did they do anything to the Mungret branch during the Foynes rebuild? Pretty much everything else I can think of has been greenway'd or should be reinstated for mainline service first.

https://www.irishtimes.com/transport/2025/09/08/plans-for-kylemore-train-station-in-west-dublin-unveiled/ Plans for a station at Kylemore have been announced and public consultation has begun. It's worth posting Irish Rail's information page too. To summarise: two platforms on what will become the slow lines, 174m long platforms for the new Darts. There's also a crossover between the the down slow and up fast, which I assume is there for emergencies, but maybe there's more crossovers outside the picture I'm missing.

https://www.irishtimes.com/transport/2025/08/29/plans-unveiled-for-moyross-railway-station-in-limerick-city/ Irish Rail have applied for planning permission for Moyross. The article says construction could start in 2026 (with Ireland's planning system?) and take 15 months (for a single platform?). Hopefully things go smoothly, and improvements to the line between Limerick and Ennis come soon.

https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/news/an-coimisiun-pleanala-approves-dart-coastal-north Dart+ North has its railway order. The piece mentions that construction should take three years once detailed planning is finished.