- Test trains ran on the Limerick to Foynes freight line.
- The line was decommissioned in 2001.
- The upgrade project cost €151.5m.
- The route covers 42km between Limerick and Foynes.
- Regular test trains will run over coming weeks.
Irish Rail has run test trains on the Limerick to Foynes freight line for the first time since the route was decommissioned 25 years ago. A two-car passenger train tested signalling and level crossings last weekend. The test took place in difficult weather from Storm Austen.
The 42km line between Limerick and Foynes first opened in 1858 and carried passengers until 1963. The €151.5m upgrade project took four years. Works included refurbishment of Foynes Station and train shed, signalling infrastructure and reinstatement of 13 level crossings. Irish Rail urged the public to expect test trains over coming weeks. It advised level crossing users, pedestrians and drivers to obey safety signals. The project aims to position rail at the centre of Ireland’s freight transport system and support a switch from road freight.
The total cost to reopen the Limerick-to-Foynes railway line is €151.5m. Stations served will include Limerick Colbert (mainline connection), Castlemungret (Cement Factory), Patrickswell, Kilgobbin, Adare, Ballingrane Junction (branching toward Askeaton/Foynes or former routes), Askeaton and Foynes (port terminal and restored station building). The upgrade project on the 42-kilometre route was funded by the Department of Transport and the National Transport Authority (NTA).
