Laois Galway Dublin train line upgrade depends on money

The upgrade of the train track on the Galway Dublin line from Portarlington to the west depends on funding and discussions around completing the work, according to Irish Rail’s director of capital investments.

Paul Hendrick gave the update recently at a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport debate attended by senior Iarnród Éireann management.

Galway West TD John Connolly told executives of his experience with delays leaving Ceannt Station in Galway due to the single line into the station that gives priority to incoming trains in the morning.

“My simple request is that the doubling of the line from Galway to Athenry be separate from that and that it proceed without the necessity of going through the entire capacity enhancement programme between Galway and Portarlington. I think that will be a longer-term project.

“I do not want to describe it as pointless, but having six platforms in Ceannt Station and having only a single line to Athenry defeats the purpose, almost. That is my request, that the doubling of the rail track to Athenry be separate,” he said.

Mr Herrick replied.

“We fully recognise where he is coming from. What he says makes total sense. We are looking at the programme on the line from Portarlington to Galway, but it is broken down into a number of sections. How and when they get delivered is the discussion we are having around the funding availability and doing it. The long-term goal is to have that line fully double-tracked.

“The Deputy is right about Galway to Athenry. We are looking to try to prioritise that as a project under the umbrella of the double-tracking of the line, particularly with the relationship with the line from Galway to Athenry and with the western rail corridor coming in,” said the director of capital investments.