Commuters in North Cork will be able to avail of a much-improved rail network in the years ahead, according to A.J. Cronin, Delivery Manager for the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme who told a meeting of the East Cork Municipal District that major upgrades will be introduced on the Mallow to Cork city line, as part of a €1.8bn programme that will be the biggest-ever investment in the county’s rail network. At present, there are ten railway stations in the county, and these will be added to by three new stations in Blarney/Stoneview, Monard and Blackpool/Kilbarry), plus four on the Midleton line (Tivoli, Dunkettle, Carrigtwohill West and Water Rock), and one on the Cobh line (Ballynoe). Preliminary designs for the new stations are at an advanced stage, and it is hoped that a public consultation process will happen in the second quarter of this year.
To complement these services, there will be park and ride facilities at the Blarney/Stoneview and Dunkettle stations, construction of which could start within the next year. A fleet of electric trains is also planned, and the end target is for trains to go between Mallow and Cork city every 10 minutes.
Agreement has been reached with the National Transport Authority to fund the Blackpool/Kilbarry and Dunkettle stations earlier than the others.
“We would hope to advance planning applications for those stations in the coming weeks and then move to detailed design and construction as soon as possible. I would expect within the next 12 months that we would start both of those stations,” Mr Cronin said.