It is the first All-Island Rail Review, setting out 30 recommendations for developing a rail network that would significantly benefit commuters, communities, businesses, the environment, and economies, both north and south.
If the recommendations are implemented in full it could transform the rail system in the coming decades with electrification, hybrid trains, faster speeds, and greatly improved frequency, opening a number of new routes particularly across the West and North of the island, and widening accessibility and connectivity across the island.
If all the recommendations in the review were delivered the rail network would be decarbonized by 2050; 700,000 more people would live within 5km of a railway station and rail journey times between some major cities could be halved, encouraging modal shift; 90% of aviation passengers could travel to the airport by rail; two thirds of freight tonnage would pass through ports served by rail; and the island’s economy could be boosted by €20bn.
The review was first launched in April 2021. It is now being published alongside the associated Strategic Environmental Assessment for consultation and is expected to be finalized by the end of this year.
Today, the island of Ireland has about 2,300km (1,440 miles) of public rail lines. If the recommendations in this new rail review are implemented this would increase to 2,950km (1,845 miles) of new low-carbon, faster rail lines.
Furthermore, the review also outlines how 80% of the trains on the network will be electric, while the remaining will be battery or hydrogen powered. Ireland is already currently investing heavily in expanding OHLE for the DART service in the Dublin area, which will increase the length of electrified railway from 50km to 150km (around 5% of the island’s railway route length).
To achieve full decarbonization, the review outlines how the island will need a green electricity grid to deliver a truly net-zero carbon railway. The rail industry could support this process by investing in renewable power sources on their estates, switching to “green” energy providers, investing in low carbon vehicles (road, plant, and rail), and reducing the consumption of resources through moving to a circular economy, the review notes.
The draft review was commissioned and overseen by both departments and carried out by engineering firm Arup. Recommendations, based around six goals, are to be delivered over the coming 25 years, aligning with net-zero commitments in both jurisdictions.
The Review’s recommendations provide policy makers and Ministers in both jurisdictions with an evidence-based framework to inform future investment decisions. More detailed work will be needed to test the feasibility and affordability of many of the recommendations to inform decision making.
Read the full All-Island Strategic Rail Review draft report here.