2026 Timetable Consultation
Sept 14 2026
The 2026 timetable consultation is very limited in scope with minor retimings across many routes. There are no extra services proposed due to the continued lack of fleet due the delays in the DART+ fleet roll out. Funding contraints also mean adding extra services must meet an unmet demand.
Submissions should be made from the link found here on the Irish Rail website by end of September 14.
Suggestions Rail Users Ireland have made are realistic in the context of available fleet resources. There is no fleet available at peak times to operate extra services or lengthen existing services. Any new or altered service must be resourced from existing resources and a preference to options which reduce overall fleet mileage but improve service.
The current timetable limits options, as making any major change will have broad impacts resulting in service unreliability as seen in previous years. While poor the current timetable broadly works.
Submission Made by Rail Users Ireland
DART Service
Sunday DART timetable is not fit for purpose, earlier trains reaching city centre before 9am are needed. Consistent all day 20 minute frequency is needed the gaps of 40 minutes in the morning timetable need to be addressed. Provision needs to be made to address the heavy demand to Howth and Bray on Summer Sundays
Dublin Cork
0600 Dublin Cork extra stop should be at Portarlington and not Portlaoise. This provides connection options from the 0545 Dublin Galway, 0515 Athlone Dublin, anyone in Portlaoise can take the 0620 service and change at Portarlington. Stopping at Portarlington costs marginally less time than Portlaoise. This is required due the absence of a early morning Heuston Portlaoise commuter running ahead of the 0600.
Dublin Portlaoise
2310 Heuston Kildare to run to Portlaoise. This currently operates empty back to Heuston each evening and then operates empty out to Kildare each morning, Running to Portlaoise saves mileage and improves service at no extra cost.
Phoenix Park Tunnel
18:13 Newbridge/Grand Canal Dock, depart Newbridge 1807 to call all stations to deliver a more consistent service pattern. The incoming train for the 1813 is sitting in the bay in Newbridge.
Dublin Sligo
Request introduction of a early morning service to Sligo, departing Longford approx 0700 to reach Sligo by 0815 allowing time to reach the Hospital and ATU campus before 9am.
Introduction of a late evening service departing Sligo 2100 to Longford to arrive 2215.
Staff with Longford based drivers, by running both evening and morning services it avoids any out of service moves and also simplifies/reduces shunting of trains at Sligo station overnight/morning. Train sets are lying idle in Sligo in the evening and early morning so should be put to use.
Cork Midleton
Need for a 0630 Cobh Cork service, this fills a gap and provides an earlier connection to Mallow for passengers.
The 90 minute gap in service to Midleton 2115-2245 is unacceptable, services should be altered to operate 2115, 2215 and 2315 to provide to maintain the consistent clockface pattern of service and also provide a later service which is much sought after as well as a later connection from Mallow.