Irish Rail looking how to increase capacity and speed on Dublin/Galway route
Irish Rail has commissioned a study to find improvements to increase capacity, frequency and line speed on the Dublin to Galway route. The line recorded its highest ever passenger numbers in 2024, with 2.56 million journeys made. And extra journeys were added to the timetable in August last year with up to 12 journeys each way being made daily. Works are underway at Ceannt station and Oranmore in Galway to increase capacity, but further infrastructure works will be needed to cater for further service expansion. The rail line and corridor between Portarlington and Galway Ceannt is the main focus at present. An update on preferred improvements is expected in the second half of 2026. A decision will then be made by the National Transport Authority and will be subject to funding. Marcello Corsi, NTA Head of Rail Investment said: "NTA welcomes the progress on this project. We look forward to engaging with the project team to identify the potential for this key public transport corridor, with the ultimate aim of making travelling by rail more attractive to more people." Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann, Jim Meade said: “At Iarnród Éireann we are delighted that a study is underway on these key infrastructure developments. We believe strongly that providing frequent and reliable rail services to more and more communities will greatly assist in reducing reliance on private cars and will go a long way to meeting Ireland’s climate action targets.” Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage .
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