Cork Suburban Rail

{{About|the modern suburban rail system in Cork City|information about historical commuter and suburban railways in Cork City|Cork (city)#Railway and tramway heritage}}

File:Cobh Railway Station County Cork - Ireland (7164029679).jpg

The Cork Suburban Rail ({{langx|ga|Iarnród Fobhailteach Chorcaí}}) network serves areas in and around Cork city in Ireland.

There has been a suburban rail system in Cork since the middle of the 19th century; however, it was subject to line closures in the 20th century. The city also had a tram network - a short-lived horse-tram service in the 1870s and an electric tram system between 1898 and 1931.

The Cork Suburban Rail network operates on three lines, and is served by 10 stations.

In 2018, there were 3.46 million passenger journeys on the Cork to Dublin line (up 10% from 2017), 908,000 on the Cork to Cobh line, and 437,000 on the Cork to Midleton line (up 5.8%).{{cite web|url = https://www.thecork.ie/2019/02/04/cork-dublin-train-passenger-journeys-highest-on-record-in-2018/ | website = thecork.ie | first = Mary |last = Bermingham | title = Cork-Dublin Train Passenger Journeys Highest on record in 2018 | date = 4 February 2019 | accessdate = 5 August 2020 }}

Routes

=Cork Kent to Mallow=

Three services run from Cork Kent to Mallow.

Dedicated commuter services using 2600 class railcars supplement stops at Mallow and Cork Kent by 22000 class railcar operated services from Cork Kent to Tralee Casement and Mark 4 locomotive hauled coach and 22000 class railcar services from Cork Kent to Dublin Heuston.{{fact|date=October 2022}}

Mallow is served by seven commuter trains, three intercity trains from Cork Kent to Tralee Casement, and 14 intercity trains from Cork Kent to Dublin Heuston per day.{{fact|date=September 2019}} A single weekday service, the 06:15 Cork Kent to Dublin Heuston express, does not stop at Mallow.

=Cork Kent to Cobh=

Services run from Cork Kent to Little Island, Glounthaune, Fota, Carrigaloe, Rushbrooke, Cobh. The Cork Kent to Cobh journey takes 24 minutes, stopping at all stations. Following an upgrade in July 2022, trains run every 30 minutes.{{cite news |last1=McAuley |first1=Eimer |title=East Cork railway lines to reopen with twice as many weekday trains |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40920143.html |access-date=12 September 2022 |work=Irish Examiner |date=17 July 2022 }}

The service is normally provided by two-coach 2600 Class diesel railcar sets, although trains of two sets are often used when to service the arrival of international cruise liners in Cobh. Fota station is especially busy during summer months, as the station serves visitors to Fota Wildlife Park.

=Cork Kent to Midleton=

Services run from Cork Kent to Little Island, Glounthaune, Carrigtwohill and Midleton. The journey time between Cork Kent and Midleton is 23 minutes. Following an upgrade in July 2022, trains run every 30 minutes. In combination with services to Cobh, trains call at Little Island and Glounthaune every 15 minutes.

This project was funded under the Irish Government's Transport 21 investment programme and opened on 31 July 2009. It involved the provision of a 10 km (6.25 miles) single track railway to Midleton with a passing loop at Carrigtwohill, new bridges to replace level crossings, improving existing bridges, new signalling systems and the reopening of Carrigtwohill and Midleton stations.

The former Cork to Youghal rail line east of Glounthaune was closed to scheduled rail traffic in the mid 1970s. The line to Youghal railway station had irregular freight and "special" passenger train traffic up until 1988 when it was fully closed and became derelict. After calls and political pressure for its re-opening, it was proposed under Transport 21 to renew the line as far as Midleton. After numerous delays, construction finally began in early 2008, and it opened in July 2009.{{cite web|url = http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0730/breaking27.htm | publisher = Irish Times | title = Cork-Midleton rail line to open | first = Ciara |last = O'Brien | date = 30 July 2009| archiveurl = https://archive.today/20120903191540/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0730/breaking27.html | archivedate = 3 September 2012 }} The section from Midleton to Youghal is to become a public greenway.{{fact|date=October 2022}}

Proposals

The "Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy 2040", published in 2019, proposed the electrification of the suburban rail and the addition of new stations on the Cork to Cobh line at Tivoli, Dunkettle, Ballynoe, Carrigtwohill West and Water Rock, and at Blarney, Monard, and Blackpool on the Mallow line.{{cite web|url = https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30923762.html | publisher = Irish Examiner | website = irishexaminer.com |first = Seán | last = McCárthaigh | title = Light rail system part of €3.5bn Cork transport plan| date = 13 May 2019 | accessdate = 5 August 2020 }} A proposal to reopen the Tivoli station (prompted by the relocation of the Port of Cork from Tivoli to Ringaskiddy) was also included in a planned 2019 urban regeneration scheme.{{cite web|url = https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/Updated-designs-for-Tivolis-redevelopment-are-considered-in-City-Hall-842b4811-c7ac-4a91-8fc2-1641710f64ee-ds | publisher = The Echo | website = echolive.ie |first = Roisín | last = Burke | title = Updated designs for Tivoli’s redevelopment are considered in City Hall | date = 22 April 2019 | accessdate = 5 August 2020 }}

As of 2022, Irish Rail was implementing the CMATS 2040 recommendations under its "Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme".{{cite web |title=Cork Area Commuter Rail|url=https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/about-us/iarnrod-eireann-projects-and-investments/cork-area-commuter-rail |website=Irish Rail |language=en}} By 2023, construction had begun on a new through platform at Kent Station, to enable trains from Mallow to carry on to stations on the tracks towards Midleton and Cobh.{{cite news |last1=English |first1=Eoin |title=Construction starts on new platform at Cork's Kent Station |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-41254696.html |access-date=11 January 2024 |work=Irish Examiner |date=24 October 2023 |language=en}} Permission was granted by An Bord Pleanala in November 2023 to double track the line between Midleton and Glounthaune.{{cite news |title=Glounthaune to Midleton Twin Track Project - Public Consultation |url=https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/about-us/iarnrod-eireann-projects-and-investments/cork-area-commuter-rail/glounthaune-to-midleton-twin-track-project |work=Irish Rail |language=en}} Funding for the plan was partially provided as part of the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility, developed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web |last1=Campbell |first1=Amy |title=Iarnród Éireann announces largest ever investment in Cork Rail Network |url=https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-41304982.html |website=Echo Live |language=en |date=9 January 2024}}

In mid-2024, planning consultants had reportedly been appointed to complete the design and other planning submissions (for the proposed new stations) ahead of a railway order application "by the end of [2025]".{{cite web|url = https://www.thejournal.ie/cork-commuter-line-6388296-May2024/ | first = Cormac | last = Fitzgerald | website = thejournal.ie | publisher = Journal Media Ltd | title = Planning underway for 8 new commuter train stations in Cork | date = 24 May 2024 | accessdate = 24 May 2024 }}

References

External links

[http://www.irishrail.ie/media/map-cork-large.png Cork Suburban Rail Map (2017)]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120218155753/http://www.transport21.ie/Projects/Heavy_Rail/Cork_Commuter_Rail.html Transport 21: Cork Commuter Rail, retrieved 13 March 2011]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110606125141/http://www.irishrail.ie/projects/glounthaune_midleton_railway.asp Iarnród Éireann project page for Glounthaune-Midleton, retrieved 13 March 2011]

Category:Passenger rail transport in Ireland

Category:Railway lines in Ireland

Category:Transport in Cork (city)

Category:Transport in County Cork