Adare Station

[west_clare_wanderer]

Been listening about this on RTE today... https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2026/0507/1572115-adare-train-station/ 

It shows that things can be done quickly sometimes. Hopefully, a test bed fo whether a permanent passenger service can be implemented on the Foynes line. 

[Mol_PMB]

I can imagine myself developing a sudden but brief interest in golf around September next year...

[Ironroad]

Three million for a station that will be operational for seven days, am I reading that correctly??????????????????/

[Westcorkrailway]

If you read between the lines, this station will be as temporary as “docklands” and once the darts begin to arrive in numbers they will probobly look at implementing a passenger service 

[skinner75]

Temporary, as the platform & trackbed will need to be raised when the nearby bridge over the river is raised.

Some dose had objected to the bridge being raised, even though this was the recommendation listed in a flood prevention scheme. The decision was made to install the bridge deck, so progress on the line could be made, then come back to raise it & the approaches at a later date

[Ironroad]

1 hour ago, Westcorkrailway said:

If you read between the lines, this station will be as temporary as “docklands” and once the darts begin to arrive in numbers they will probobly look at implementing a passenger service 

 

1 hour ago, skinner75 said:

Temporary, as the platform & trackbed will need to be raised when the nearby bridge over the river is raised.

Some dose had objected to the bridge being raised, even though this was the recommendation listed in a flood prevention scheme. The decision was made to install the bridge deck, so progress on the line could be made, then come back to raise it & the approaches at a later date

"Temporary", "as the platform & trackbed will need to be raised when the nearby bridge over the river is raised." 

So it isn't a permanent structure even if a service may be possible to a properly structured  station in the never never future.   What is the demand versus requirements elsewhere?

The reality and truth is IE can waste three million on a ELITIST EVENT lasting just seven days and do so in haste but when it comes to real need for the masses it can drag it heels for decades.

Spend the 3m now on a station in Ballyfermot which is at least 70 years overdue. To put this in context the GNR opened  a basic station in Harmonstown in Jan 1957 to service the new community there and they certainly did not have the equivalent of 3m to do so at that time.. 

[cheesy_peas]

2 hours ago, Ironroad said:

Three million for a station that will be operational for seven days, am I reading that correctly??????????????????/

That would beat the record for shortest lived station, Meelick (3 months)

[RobertRoche]

Very temporary - a bit like scaffolding:

Some other good details in this presentation:

 

[hurricanemk1c]

On 8/5/2026 at 4:34 PM, Ironroad said:

 

"Temporary", "as the platform & trackbed will need to be raised when the nearby bridge over the river is raised." 

So it isn't a permanent structure even if a service may be possible to a properly structured  station in the never never future.   What is the demand versus requirements elsewhere?

The reality and truth is IE can waste three million on a ELITIST EVENT lasting just seven days and do so in haste but when it comes to real need for the masses it can drag it heels for decades.

Spend the 3m now on a station in Ballyfermot which is at least 70 years overdue. To put this in context the GNR opened  a basic station in Harmonstown in Jan 1957 to service the new community there and they certainly did not have the equivalent of 3m to do so at that time.. 

The reality and truth is how things are funded. IÉ can do little if the Department for Transport restricts the budget, whereas something like Adare gets funding from other avenues (the Ryder Cup organisation itself for one is very much pushing public transport as an option, be it rail to Adare or Limerick, and park and ride services across the Limerick area). And there's been a lot of work in the background before public announcements so it's not "in haste".

Get your local TD to push for additional rail and public transport funding. And opening a station in 1957 is hardly "in context".

Edited Monday at 11:23 by hurricanemk1c

[Mol_PMB]

I heard talk at the weekend that a charging point is to be installed so that the Ryder Cup services can be operated by the new DART trains. 

I'm not sure how much substance there is to this, but if so I do look forward to them being rebranded Foynes Area Rapid Transit

I suppose that given IE's shortage of rolling stock and the desire to portray public transport in a good light, a brand new train might be a fair option compared to a tatty, noisy 29000.

[Ironroad]

3 hours ago, hurricanemk1c said:

The reality and truth is how things are funded. IÉ can do little if the Department for Transport restricts the budget,

Pure semantics.  Long and short of it is that public money is being wasted to fund a very temporary facility for an elitist event at the expense of providing services where the need has been ignored for decades and this is indeed being done in haste, probably no more than a couple of years in the making, The decision to hold the Ryder cup there was only made in 2019 and if the Ryder Cup organisation is so concerned with the provision of Pubic Transport they should have considered this before deciding on a location. They should fund this if they want it.

I use Ballyfermot as an example only and Indeed after seventy years a station is promised for Ballyfermot but it still won't be delivered for many years yet because of preconditions that supposedly need to be satisfied. Apply similar preconditions to Adare,  they exist, and accordingly should similarly be delayed and built properly..  Harmonstown does give context to this issue  because, without any fuss and even in the face of bankruptcy  the GNR opened that station to coincide with the new residential development in that area (coinciding with Ballyfermot) seventy years ago. Would that have happened if CIE or the department of transport had control of the northern line at that time? I think not. One of the greatest failings by public institutions in Ireland has always been the failure to coordinate the provision of infrastructure with development but they have no problem wasting money.

[hurricanemk1c]

21 hours ago, Ironroad said:

Pure semantics.  Long and short of it is that public money is being wasted to fund a very temporary facility for an elitist event at the expense of providing services where the need has been ignored for decades and this is indeed being done in haste, probably no more than a couple of years in the making, The decision to hold the Ryder cup there was only made in 2019 and if the Ryder Cup organisation is so concerned with the provision of Pubic Transport they should have considered this before deciding on a location. They should fund this if they want it.

I use Ballyfermot as an example only and Indeed after seventy years a station is promised for Ballyfermot but it still won't be delivered for many years yet because of preconditions that supposedly need to be satisfied. Apply similar preconditions to Adare,  they exist, and accordingly should similarly be delayed and built properly..  Harmonstown does give context to this issue  because, without any fuss and even in the face of bankruptcy  the GNR opened that station to coincide with the new residential development in that area (coinciding with Ballyfermot) seventy years ago. Would that have happened if CIE or the department of transport had control of the northern line at that time? I think not. One of the greatest failings by public institutions in Ireland has always been the failure to coordinate the provision of infrastructure with development but they have no problem wasting money.

Something built 70 years ago does not provide context. I could for instance say there was a massive and quick building programme across Germany from January/February 1945, but it's wouldn't solve the housing issues here. The world has changed (sometimes better sometimes worse), whether you like it or not. 

Woodbrook has been built and opened just as development started opening up, the Green Line was extended to Bride's Glen when it was a field (and now very much is not), same with Saggart, so there are several cases where things have happened for the regular passenger. Woodbrook cost €24m as a guide. As I said, Adare is a different matter and funded in a different way. There's also Galway station, Oranmore loop, Cork Area Commuter Project, DART+, Metro - all which funding of €3m would help but (particularly for the latter) not make much of an impact. The €3m will more than likely be recouped through the significant footfall for the week across the country, which if you lobby your local TD could then go to public transport funding. Or other services that are needed.

There's far more pressing concerns about public spending!

You're entitled to your opinion, and I'll leave it at that.

Edited Tuesday at 12:58 by hurricanemk1c

[Ironroad]

 No doubt a lot is changing for the better but the pace is still much too slow, low cost low hanging fruit is ignored, the priorities seem illogical. and money is being wasted..  The GSR line runs for almost a mile behind Landen Rd  and crosses Kylemore Road where the provision of a station similar to Harmonstown could have easily been built at minimal cost seventy years ago but the core population of 20,000 (full population exceeds 50,000) are still waiting.  Why is it that CIE did not do this when at the same time the GNR could build a station at Harmonstown?  That is an example of the ineptitude of CIE, IR, IE,and the Dept of Transport over seven decades. By what logic can the spending of three million at the behest of the Ryder Cup organisation on a elitist event for a facility that will be in use for only a few days, take priority over real need elsewhere?  That is scandalous and outrages me.

I

[Barl]

I think one of the main issues here is the headline grabbing €3m price tag. It's unclear if this is the total cost, including the station purchase cost or just the actual works itself. The existing platform at Adare does not meet modern standards, not to mention being quite small so it cannot be used. I'm assuming the use of a temporary, stage like set up is also part of the reason for a fast-tracked planning process.

Given that a renewed railway line is available, it makes perfect sense to use it to serve an international event that will be visited by thousands of people. Without knowing the frequency of the 'shuttle' service, I can only imagine how many buses would be required to move the same numbers of people. As an example, IÉ spent close to €250k on replacement bus services to cover weekend works on the CACR project, over - if I remember correctly - the space of a year. It wouldn't be long getting close to that €3m figure at that rate with nothing to show for it.

As for the outrage, I'm sure there's plenty of people who were upset at their local stations (or lines) closing during the last 70 years, let alone being aggrieved by the lack of a new one being built. 

Edited Tuesday at 21:22 by Barl

[Branchline121]

Irish Rail’s Rail2050 strategy mentions utilising the Foynes branch up to Ballingrane for a commuter service, so the station shouldn’t be a complete waste, provided they follow through.