All-Island Vision for a New Age of Rail

The Department of Transport in Ireland and the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) in Northern Ireland today publish the Final Report of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, developed in the context of the “New Decade, New Approach” agreement. This ground-breaking Report, approved for publication by the Irish Government and DfI Minister, sets out a strategic vision for the development of the rail system across the island of Ireland over the coming decades.

Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd with Minister for Transport, Ireland, Eamon Ryan

The Report sets out 32 strategic recommendations to enhance and expand the rail system in Ireland and Northern Ireland up to 2050, aligning with net carbon zero commitments in both jurisdictions. The recommendations seek to transform the quality of the rail system to the benefit of passengers and wider society on the island, through additional track capacity, electrification, increased speeds and higher service frequencies. Furthermore, the vision involves the construction of new rail lines, particularly in the North Midlands and North West, widening accessibility and connectivity.

The final Report has taken account of responses received to a draft Report and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) published for public consultation last year. The recommendations for rail in the Report have been developed through an evidenced-based review taking into account goals such as connectivity, sustainability and economic feasibility. On this basis, the Report’s recommendations envisage the following for rail on the island:

• Additional capacity: upgrading much of the single-track rail network to double-track, with four-track in some areas;
• Faster services: new 200kmh (125mph) intercity trains, with rail journey times between cities significantly reduced – in some cases, halved;
• Higher frequency: train services at least hourly between cities and at least every two hours on regional/rural routes;
• Decarbonisation: a net carbon zero rail system, primarily through the overhead electrification of intercity routes and new electric trains;
• Greater reach: the rail network route length would increase from circa 2,300km to almost 3,000km with the reopening of former and new rail lines;
• Wider access: facilitated by new routes in the North Midlands and North West, 700,000 more people would live within 5km of a railway station;
• More passengers: almost tripling the number of people using the rail system annually from circa 65 million to over 180 million by 2050.

As part of an evidence-based approach, a high-level economic appraisal was carried out to help ensure that the Review’s recommendations represent value-for-money. The Report estimates that the capital cost of implementing all of the recommendations by 2050 is in the order of €35bn-€37 billion/£29-£31 billion in 2023 prices, and that the monetised benefits to society from such investment would cover the costs, meeting the goal of economic feasibility. A more detailed evaluation would be conducted on individual projects brought forward for consideration.

Minister for Transport, Ireland, Eamon Ryan, stated:

“This is an important day for the island of Ireland. This is not just the first All-Island Strategic Rail Review, it is the most ambitious vision for rail in a century, bringing us forward to a new age of rail. This vision has been made possible by close cooperation between the Departments and agencies north and south.

Rail not only allows us to carry more people and freight in a more sustainable way, it is the great connector, enabling greater regional accessibility and balanced regional development. The Report provides a long-term vision and a series of recommendations for the sustainable development of the rail network on the island. I would like to see the recommendations actioned as soon as possible, and I am pleased that work is now well underway, with European Investment Bank assistance, on how we can move forward.”

DfI Minister, John O’Dowd, stated:

“The publication of the Final Report of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, the first of its kind across this island, is historic and I am pleased that we have reached this point. The Report provides an evidence-based framework to help guide future investment in our rail network, and will help us meet our climate commitments. The Review has been an excellent example of joint collaboration on cross-border priorities, and this continued partnership will be key to realising its ambitions.

“This publication brings us to a new chapter where we can shape a better future for everyone by decarbonising key services and investing in climate adaptation measures, while at the same time supporting economic productivity through projects, policy and legislation. Getting infrastructure right, and investing in it accordingly, can create the foundations for better rural and urban communities.”   

The All-Island Strategic Rail Review Report and associated SEA Reports can be accessed via the Department of Transport’s website and the Department for Infrastructure’s website.

Already, in the coming months, rail services on the island are to be developed towards the Report’s vision. This includes an increase to an hourly train service between Dublin and Belfast, and additional services between Dublin and Galway, while procurement has also started on a new, faster, more sustainable “Enterprise” train fleet for the Dublin-Belfast route.

Moreover, assisted by the European Investment Bank (EIB) Advisory Services, the Department of Transport and DfI, and agencies north and south, are working to progress the Report’s recommendations in the years ahead, maintaining momentum. This includes a more detailed identification of rail priorities to pursue over the next decade. Progress in following-up on the Rail Review will be reported on as appropriate through the North South Ministerial Council.

Notes to editors: 

1. The All-Island Strategic Rail Review was jointly commissioned by the Department of Transport in Ireland and the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) in Northern Ireland in 2021. The Review was in the context of, and expanded on, the Programme for Government in Ireland and the “New Decade, New Approach” agreement between the UK and Irish Governments to examine the feasibility of higher/high-speed rail.  
2. Work on the Review was carried out by Arup, with extensive engagement from both Departments, the National Transport Authority (NTA), Iarnród Éireann and Translink. The work was reviewed by a High Level Steering Group, which in addition to representatives from both Departments, both rail companies and the NTA, included the Commission for Railway Regulation (CRR) and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. JASPERS, a European Investment Bank (EIB) agency, also provided independent advice during the Review.
3. The Review provides the first such strategic all-island assessment of the rail system. The Review was developed against six cross-cutting goals as follows:

• Contributing to Decarbonisation;
• Improving connectivity between the island’s major cities;
• Enhancing rural and regional accessibility;
• Encouraging sustainable mobility;
• Fostering economic activity;
• Achieving economic and financial feasibility.

4. A public consultation was undertaken for the Review between November 2021 and January 2022 to gather views on the role of rail and priorities for investment. More than 7,000 submissions were received, demonstrating the keen public interest in the development of the rail system. These responses formed a key input into the draft Review Report’s recommendations.
5. The draft Review Report was published in July 2023 for the purpose of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) public consultation, with the consultation concluding in September 2023. A total of 474 unique responses were received, with the vast majority of comments related to non-SEA issues. The Report takes account of the feedback and provides a summary of comments received.

6. Scope of the Report

• By reference to the goals outlined above, the Report sets out a high-level strategic vision for the railway on the island of Ireland over the period to 2050, focusing on the inter-urban and regional/rural network. The recommendations in the Report are in addition to the projects currently being progressed under the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-30 in Ireland, for example the DART+ Programme.
• For clarity, planning for the metropolitan rail networks of Dublin and the four regional cities of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford are set out in Metropolitan Area Transport Strategies. The Review Report notes that the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) Transport Strategy 2022-42 is the relevant statutory plan for the GDA. The recommendations set out in the Review are intended, within the GDA, to represent potential additional complementary provisions which could be considered for inclusion in future updates to the GDA Transport Strategy.
• More generally, the Review Report will inform decisions on investment in the rail sector in both jurisdictions to 2050. As part of this, for Ireland, the Report will assist in the Department of Transport’s engagement as part of the next update to the NDP.

7. Vision and Recommendations

• The Report’s strategic vision is: “To deliver an accessible, efficient, safe and sustainable transport system that supports communities, households and businesses.” In pursuing this vision, the Report sets out 32 recommendations to markedly improve the inter-urban and regional/rural rail system for passengers and communities in Ireland and Northern Ireland over the coming decades. The recommendations would enable rail to be a stronger backbone of a high-quality sustainable transport system, through more track capacity, electrification, increased speeds, higher frequencies and new routes.
• The Review’s recommendations are subdivided into three broad indicative time horizons: short-term to 2030, medium-term between 2030 and 2040, and long-term between 2040 and 2050.

8. Related to the goals of the Review, the recommendations in the Report by theme include the following:

Decarbonisation

• Decarbonise the rail network, mainly through the overhead electrification of the intercity network, while rural and regional lines could be powered by battery-electric or hydrogen trains.
• Procure new hybrid and electric train rolling stock.

Intercity

• Increase top speeds to 200km/h (125mph) on the core intercity railway network (Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Derry~Londonderry) which, along with an upgrade to track capacity as outlined next, provides for train journeys that are typically faster than the car.
• Upgrade much of the single-track cross-country rail network to a double-track railway (and four-track in places), for example between Portarlington and Athlone on the Galway line.
• Increase intercity service frequencies to at least hourly.

Regional and Rural

• Provide more direct services between Ireland’s West and South Coasts, for example between Galway, Limerick and Cork.
• Increase service frequency to at least one train every two hours.
• Increase regional and rural line speeds to at least 120km/h (75mph).
• Reinstate the Western Rail Corridor between Claremorris and Athenry.
• Extend the railway into Co. Tyrone (from Portadown to Dungannon, Omagh, Strabane), Derry-Londonderry and to Letterkenny in Co. Donegal.
• Reinstate the South Wexford Railway, connecting to Wexford to Waterford.
• Develop the railway to boost connectivity in the North Midlands, from Mullingar to Cavan, Monaghan, Armagh and Portadown.

Sustainable Cities

• Interventions that can support plans for commuter, inter-urban rail and international connectivity through the cities, noting that many of these interventions fall outside of the scope of the Review and will be advanced by metropolitan area transport plans.
• Segregate long-distance and fast services from commuter services through additional track capacity, reducing journey times to/from cities.

Freight

• Strengthen rail connectivity to the island’s busiest ports and reduce Track Access Charges for freight.
• Develop first-mile-last-mile rail access for Dublin Port.

Customer Experience

• Improve service quality, with better provision of customer information and catering, “clock-face” timetabling, and better integration with other transport options.
• Invest in a rolling programme of accessibility improvements, including step-free access.

9. Costs and Benefits

As a high-level policy tool, an economic appraisal was carried out which led to the final package (and cost) of the recommendations in the Report.

If the Review’s recommendations are implemented in full to 2050, the capital cost across the island (Ireland and Northern Ireland) is estimated to be in the order of €35bn-€37 billion/£29-£31 billion in 2023 prices. For Ireland, if this investment is split evenly across 25 years, then it amounts to circa €1 billion per annum (in 2023 prices) over and above existing plans. For Northern Ireland, the equivalent total capital annual cost is approximately £0.31 billion.

Monetised benefits considered by the appraisal include passenger benefits in the form of reduced journey times, roads decongestion and greenhouse gas reductions. The appraisal indicated that the Benefit to Cost Ratio (BCR) for the entire proposed investment package in the Review is broadly 1:1, indicating that in aggregate the monetised benefits to the economy and society from the Report’s investment package are at least equal to the costs, meeting the goal of economic feasibility.

More detailed appraisal work would be needed to test the feasibility and affordability of the projects in the Review when brought forward for consideration.

10. Next Steps

Already, in the coming months, rail services on the island are to be developed towards the Report’s vision. This includes an increase to an hourly train service between Dublin and Belfast, and additional services between Dublin and Galway, while procurement has also started on a new, faster, more sustainable “Enterprise” train fleet for the Dublin-Belfast route.

Furthermore, the Department of Transport has engaged the EIB Advisory Services in order to help progress the implementation of the Rail Review’s recommendations in the years ahead, thereby maintaining momentum. Assisted by the EIB, the Department of Transport and DfI, and agencies north and south, are working to progress the Report’s recommendations, including a more detailed identification of rail priorities to pursue over the next decade. Progress in following-up on the Rail Review will be reported on as appropriate through the North South Ministerial Council.

11. All media queries should be directed to the Department for Infrastructure Press Office at: press.office@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

12. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

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