West=On=Track -News

Development and Growth on Galway-Limerick Rail Route Welcomed

Press Release Friday June 3rd 2011 

The announcement by Iarnród Éireann today of a range of new developments on the Galway-Limerick section of the Western Rail Corridor, as well as healthy passenger numbers for its first year of operation, has been warmly welcomed by the West on Track campaign.

Over 250,000 journeys have been made across the Limerick-Galway route, including the Limerick-Ennis and Athenry-Galway commuter services, since it opened on 30th March 2010, and Iarnród Éireann has expressed confidence that service changes now in place will continue to attract more customers to the route.

Following a successful trial period the current online promotional fares of €10 each way on selected services between Limerick and Galway are to be extended until further notice

Iarnród Éireann has also said that new services introduced last month will give a boost to customers in the Galway area and along the Western Rail Corridor line from Galway to Limerick. New and changed services include:

• A new Galway-Ennis evening commuter service departing Galway for Ennis at 18:30 and departing Ennis for Galway at 20:15 (the latter providing a new evening link from Limerick to Galway)
• Additional Athenry/Galway services from Galway to Athenry at 08:40 and 16:30 and from Athenry to Galway at 09:00 and 17:00
• Three services in each direction daily connecting directly from the Western Corridor to Galway/Dublin services. These include: A connection to 07:35hrs Galway - Heuston service at Athenry departing Gort at 07:14, Ardrahan at 07:24 and Craughwell at 07:33

Two new stations are also to be added to the Galway-Limerick route: Iarnród Éireann has applied for planning permission for a new station in Crusheen in Co Clare, and permission has been received for Oranmore Station in Co Galway. Iarnród Éireann plans to have both stations open during the first half of 2012.

A spokesman for West on Track said that the announcements by Iarnród Éireann were very welcome and that the success of the railway over its first year was a tribute to the hard work of many people in Iarnród Éireann who had achieved excellent results despite having to operate during the most serious economic downturn in our history.

“We particularly welcome the news that a quarter of a million passengers have travelled on services on the Galway-Limerick route in its first year, availing of commuter and inter-city services. We are confident that the additional new and improved services and connections together with two new stations will lead to continued strong growth across the route leading to further expansion and development in the near future,” said the spokesman.