Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 December 2025
158. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Transport for an update on progress in implementing the recommendations of the strategic rail review; if any projects have been selected for prioritised delivery; to provide update on any possible pipeline of projects as part of this review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72948/25]
View answer160. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Transport if the all-island strategic rail review was considered as part of the NDP review; how its recommendations were considered; the criteria he intends to use to rank projects in order of priority as part of the pipeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72989/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 158 and 160 together.
As the Deputy may be aware, the All-Island Strategic Rail Review was undertaken in co-operation with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. Following two public consultations, the Review’s Final Report was published in July 2024.
The Review's Final 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.
Assisted by the European Investment Bank (EIB) Advisory Services, the Department of Transport and Department for Infrastructure, and agencies across the island, are working to progress the Report’s recommendations in the years ahead. As part of this work, a Project Prioritisation Strategy was developed and published on 15 December.
The Strategy outlines how to best sequence and optimise the recommendations of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, and specifies short-term rail infrastructure investments, referred to as Early Interventions, to be delivered in the coming years. These include a series of new track passing loops and platforms to boost the rail network’s resilience and capacity. Work on these projects in Ireland will start next year, for full delivery by 2030 with funding provided in the National Development Plan (NDP) Sectoral Investment Plan for Transport, which was published by the Department of Transport in November.
The Strategy also identifies Major Projects to be progressed for the longer-run, involving intercity electrification and significant capacity upgrades on the rail network. These Major Projects include “FourNorth”, to add track capacity on the busy Northern line north of Connolly station; electrification and line speed improvements on the Dublin-Cork and Dublin-Belfast routes, and reinstatement of lines including the Western Rail Corridor between Claremorris to Athenry.
