By Elaine Murphy
Rail customers reminded new timetable from this Monday 26th August
More Intercity train services to/from Galway and Waterford – with later final departures to/from both cities; the opening of Kishoge Station, and additional weekend trains on the Cork commuter network are the highlights of the new Iarnród Éireann rail timetable.
The rail company has reminded customers that the changes take effect from this Monday 26th August 2024 (except for hourly Belfast services, which will commence later in the year), and for customers on all routes to check times before travel.
To accommodate hourly Dublin/Belfast services and improve punctuality performance, customers are also asked to note that departure times are proposed to change on many DART, Northern Commuter, Maynooth Commuter services and Phoenix Park Tunnel services.
Amongst stopping pattern changes, customers on the Sligo/Dublin Connolly route will benefit from interchange with the Luas Green line with the proposal to stop all services at Broombridge, as opposed to a limited number of services currently.
Additionally, Kishoge Station on the Heuston Commuter line will open from first services on Monday 26th August, the 146th station on the Iarnród Éireann network.
Highlights of the new timetables include:
New Services
- Up to five additional weekday services on the Heuston/Galway route including an earlier first service from Heuston to Galway, and a later final service of the day each way, and an additional Sunday service each way.:
- Weekdays
- New 05:45 hrs Heuston/Galway service
- New 07:27 hrs Tullamore/Galway service (Mon-Fri)
- New 20:30 hrs Heuston/Galway service
- New 09:05 hrs Galway/Heuston (Mon-Fri
- New 20:50 hrs Galway/Heuston service (Mon-Sat)
- Sundays
- New 10:30 hrs Heuston/Galway service
- New 13:40 hrs Galway/Heuston service
- Weekdays
- Extra Heuston/Waterford service in each direction, a later final service each way, delivered through:
- 20:15 hrs Heuston/Carlow (Mon-Sat) is deferred to 20:20 hrs and extended to Waterford
- 21:37 hrs Carlow/Heuston (Mon-Sat) will commence from Waterford at 20:20 hrs
- Additional service each way Dublin/Waterford/Dublin on Sundays bringing the total services to 5 in each direction.
- New 21:25hrs Wexford to Gorey, delivering a later evening connection from Wexford to Dublin Connolly
- Cork Commuter service improvements, including
- 10 new Saturday services in each direction on Cork/Cobh Commuter, delivering a clockface half-hourly service on Saturdays.
- 4 new Sunday services in each direction on Cork/Cobh Commuter and 6 new Sunday services in each direction on Cork/Midleton Commuter, delivering a clockface hourly all-day service on both routes on Sundays.
Additionally, later this year on the Dublin to Belfast route,
- 7 new services Monday to Saturday in each direction on Dublin to Belfast route, delivering a new clockface hourly service Dublin/Belfast/Dublin on Monday to Saturdays, including pre-09.00 arrivals into both cities. Services will also operate to/from the new Belfast Grand Central Station. (from later this year)
- Clockface two-hourly service Dublin/Belfast/Dublin on Sundays, with earlier first services and later last services in each direction. Services will also now operate to/from the new Belfast Grand Central Station.
- Please note that Northern Commuter changes will take effect from 26th August, in advance of the hourly Belfast service.
SIGNIFICANT TIMETABLE CHANGES TO DART & COMMUTER
- To accommodate hourly Dublin/Belfast services and improve punctuality performance, customers are also asked to note that departure times are proposed to change on many DART, Northern Commuter and Maynooth Commuter services, and some Newbridge/Hazelhatch to Grand Canal Dock services operating to/from Connolly.
STOP CHANGES ON EXISTING SERVICES
- Kishoge Station will open on Monday 26th August, served by Heuston Commuter and Newbridge / Hazelhatch to Connolly/Grand Canal Dock services, with a total of 96 weekday services (48 each way)
- All Sligo services will now call additionally at Broombridge for interchange with Luas Green Line services.
- 09:30 hrs Galway/Heuston (Mon-Fri) is deferred to 10:05 hrs, arriving into Dublin Heuston at 12:41 hrs. It will also additionally serve Oranmore.
- 13:00 hrs Galway/Heuston (Sundays) service is advanced to 12:20 hrs and will additionally serve Oranmore. It will no longer serve Attymon, customers can avail of the new 13:40 hrs service from Galway instead.
- Some Phoenix Park Tunnel services (Grand Canal Dock to Hazelhatch/Newbridge) will now commence/terminate at Connolly Station rather than operate to/from Grand Canal Dock.
- Additional service from Monasterevin: 07:15hrs Portlaoise to Heuston will serve Monasterevin (07:30hrs).
- 08:14hrs Dundalk to Dublin Connolly and 17:50hrs Connolly to Dundalk will operate from/to Newry from 26th August, in advance of hourly Belfast service (07:56hrs departure from Newry)
- Additional stops at Oranmore on a number of services:
- Mon-Sat: 13:30hrs Heuston to Galway
- Sat only: 09:25hrs Galway to Heuston
- Sun only: 16:35hrs and 20:30hrs Heuston to Galway; 08:00hrs and 17:00hrs Galway to Heuston
- NEW following public consultation: Additional stops at Attymon on a number of services:
- Mon–Sat: 06:25hrs Galway to Heuston, 17:30hrs Heuston to Galway
- Sun only: 08:00hrs Galway to Heuston, 18:45hrs Heuston to Galway
Expanded Intercity railcar fleet – capacity improvements on a number of routes
In addition to the new timetable, the expansion of the Intercity railcar fleet from 234 carriages to 275 carriages will lead to improved capacity on a number of existing services on the following routes. These improvements are being phased in between now and later this year as 41 new carriages are added to the fleet:
- Newbridge/Hazelhatch to Connolly/Grand Canal Dock (Phoenix Park tunnel)
- Galway to Dublin Heuston
- Limerick to Dublin Heuston
- Sligo to Dublin Connolly
- Waterford/Carlow to Dublin Heuston
- Tralee to Dublin Heuston
- Westport to Dublin Heuston
An Iarnród Éireann spokesperson advised customers to check times before their next journeys with the introduction of the new timetable, saying “we are delighted to once again expand our timetable, and to deliver more capacity, with the highest ever number of rail passengers forecast for this year. Whether new services are being introduced on your route or not, we would remind customers on all routes to check times before travel: even small changes may affect your journey, which is particularly important for daily commuters.”