Cork Suburban Rail

The Cork Suburban Rail (Irish: Iarnród Fobhailteach Chorcaí) network serves areas of County Cork, in Munster in Ireland.

A train departing from Cobh.

There has been a suburban rail system in Cork since the middle of the 19th century; however, it suffered 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-Midleton line (up 5.8%).[1]

Cork to Mallow

Three services run from Cork Kent to Mallow.

Dedicated commuter services using 2600 class railcars supplement stops at Mallow and Cork by 22000 class railcar operated services from Cork to Tralee and Mark 4 locomotive hauled coach services from Cork to Heuston Station, Dublin.

Mallow is served by seven commuter trains, three intercity trains from Cork to Tralee, and 14 intercity trains from Cork to Heuston per day. A single weekday service, the 06:15 Cork-Heuston express, does not stop at Mallow.

Cork to Cobh

Services run from Cork Kent to Little Island, Glounthaune, Fota, Carrigaloe, Rushbrooke, Cobh. The Cork-Cobh journey takes 24 minutes, stopping at all stations. There are 23 services in each direction on weekdays, running hourly for most of the day and half-hourly at peak times.

The service is provided by two-coach 2600 Class diesel railcar sets, although trains of two sets are 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 to Midleton

Services run from Cork Kent to Little Island, Glounthaune, Carrigtwohill and Midleton. There are 22 trains a day each way - Hourly off peak and half-hourly during peak times. The journey time between Cork and Midleton is 23 minutes, and together with the existing Cork - Cobh services there are 45 trains a day from Glounthaune & Little Island to Cork.

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-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.[2]

Future
See also: Proposed light rail developments for Cork City

The Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy 2040 proposes the electrification of the suburban rail and the addition of new stations on the Cork-Cobh line at Tivoli, Dunkettle, Ballynoe, Carrigtwohill West and Water Rock, and at Blarney, Monard, and Blackpool on the Mallow line.[3] A proposal to reopen the Tivoli station was included in a planned urban regeneration scheme driven by the relocation of the Port of Cork from Tivoli to Ringaskiddy.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Cork-Dublin Train Passenger Journeys Highest on record in 2018". thecork.ie. 4 February 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  2. Irish Times - Cork-Midleton rail line to open - 30 July 2009
  3. "Light rail system part of €3.5bn Cork transport plan". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  4. "Updated designs for Tivoli's redevelopment are considered in City Hall". echolive.ie. The Echo. 22 April 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
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