Limerick to Ennis Line Reopens

Date: 21 January 2010

LIMERICK TO ENNIS RAIL LINE REOPENS

Driver training resumes for Western Rail Corridor, scheduled for March opening

Iarnród Éireann is pleased to advise customers of the Limerick to Ennis rail line that the line has reopened today. The line had been closed since the end of November, with bus transfers operating in its place, due to flooding at Ballycar, which is in an area of slow-draining karst land formation.

Limerick/Ennis rail services have now resumed this afternoon and a full service is operating.

The reopening of the line is good news also for the first phase of the Western Rail Corridor. The planned opening date of 9th January 2010 for the Ennis-Athenry line, which would deliver direct Limerick-Galway services, was deferred as a result of the flooding in November. However, driver training resumed between Ennis and Galway last week, and will now continue over the full Limerick-Galway route.

As a result, Iarnród Éireann has stated that the line is on schedule to open in March 2010, with a precise opening date expected to be confirmed shortly.

The €106.5 million redevelopment of the Ennis-Athenry line will:

- Deliver direct Galway to Limerick services

- Serve Limerick, Ennis, Athenry and Galway; and new stations at Sixmilebridge, Gort, Ardrahan and Craughwell

- Expand commuter links to Limerick and Galway

- Promote balanced regional development, in line with National Spatial Strategy objectives, by linking two Gateways – Limerick and Galway – and serving the hub of Ennis

The investment project delivered by Iarnród Éireann involves:

- renewal of 36 miles of track, including all necessary fencing, and installation of points and crossings at Gort and Ennis.

- a 90m platform with furniture, signage, shelter, Automatic Ticket Vending Machine, lighting, car park, PA, Customer Information Systems, help point and CCTV provision at Sixmilebridge, Gort, Ardrahan and Craughwell. These stations will also be accessible to the mobility impaired

- At Ennis and Athenry stations, PA, Customer Information Systems, help point and CCTV has been provided

- Repair and improvement work has been undertaken on bridges on the route to allow rail services to operate

- modernised signalling systems

- improvement to level crossings, and elimination where practicable

The project is part of the Government’s Transport 21 investment programme, under the National Development Plan 2007-2013.