Upgrades to station platforms will help reduce Galway-Dublin train journey to 90 minutes
Upgrades to train platforms at stations in Galway and Offaly have been earmarked as priority projects to be delivered before 2030 under a new rail project prioritisation strategy published this week.
It is hoped that the proposed works at Woodlawn train station, at Ballinasloe, Co Galway and Clara train station in Co Offaly will help reduce the overall train journey time between Galway and Dublin to just 90 minutes.
Cllr Alan Harney said the Woodlawn platform is something he has been pressing for since his election. “This would help to hugely improve the capacity on the Dublin-Galway line and the usability of the station in Woodlawn,” he said.
Currently, many commuters are unable to board or disembark at Woodlawn due to the lack of platform space, despite trains stopping there. Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, and Galway East TD, Seán Canney told the Irish Independent that this is based on the demand of commuters coming to and from the Woodlawn station, and remains consistently under review.
The strategy sets out a mix of major and minor projects, some scheduled for completion within the next five years, aimed at strengthening rail infrastructure nationwide.
Deputy Canney expects to see these works completed in the next two years after Irish Rail completes the planning process.
According to the report, journey times on the Galway–Dublin line will fall to just over 90 minutes once the programme is complete, compared with the current two hours and 15 minutes.