New carriages on right track
Capacity to increase significantly on commuter services
Capacity on some of the Sligo to Dublin line’s busiest commuter services is to increase by 50 per cent before the end of the year.
The Sligo to Dublin line, which serves commuters in the Mullingar area, is to be one of the main beneficiaries of Irish Rail’s acquisition of 41 new Intercity rail carriages, and half of the services on the route will gain additional capacity in the coming weeks.
A total of eight services on the route will have capacity increases from four to six carriages. It’s a development that will be welcomed by local rail commuters who have long complained about over crowding on some of the busiest services. The news was revealed by Irish Rail chief executive Jim Meade in a response to a recent Parliamentary Question by Deputy Robert Troy. Mr Meade informed Deputy Troy that the deployment of the new carriages “is nearing completion”.
“These intermediate carriages will allow for the lengthening of existing train sets, providing additional capacity on Intercity and commuter routes. A total of eight services (06:55; 09:05; 16:00; and 19.17 Connolly to Sligo, and the 06.40; 09.05; 13.05; and 19.00 Sligo to Connolly) on the Dublin to Sligo route will see increased capacity due to this fleet deployment, which is predominantly being used on the Intercity network. These services will increase from four to six carriages.
“Please note, capacity will vary until all 41 carriages are in service, which will be by the end of this year. All these carriages have multi-purpose areas, including accessible seating on board. All Intercity trains have reserved seating for persons with mobility issues.”
Deputy Troy says local rail commuters have been waiting a long time for improved capacity on the busy service. “It is welcome news that additional train carriages have now been delivered and will be added to the Sligo to Connolly line by the end of the year. I have been advocating for additional capacity to Dublin for some time, as many commuters are left standing for the entire journey.
“It is also positive news that the two extra carriages will ensure additional seating for persons with mobility issues. The extra two carriages will make a significant difference as it will mean 50 per cent added capacity to the existing service.”