Rail transport in Ireland (InterCity, commuter and freight) is provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.
Most routes in the Republic radiate from Dublin. Northern Ireland has suburban routes from Belfast and two main InterCity lines, to Derry and cross-border to Dublin.
The accompanying map of the current railway network shows lines that are fully operational (in red), carrying freight only traffic (in black) and with dotted black lines those which have been "mothballed" (i.e. closed to traffic but potentially easy to re-open). Some airports are indicated but none are rail-connected, although Kerry Airport and Belfast City Airport are within walking distance of a railway station. Both the City of Derry Airport and Belfast International (Aldergrove) are near railway lines but not connected. Ports are marked, although few remain rail-connected. Dublin Port, Larne Harbour, Belview Port and Rosslare Europort are ports that are still connected.
Ireland's only light rail service, named Luas, is in Dublin. No metro lines currently exist in Ireland, but there is a planned MetroLink line which would serve Dublin.
The island's railway network is controlled by three different signalling systems. Throughout the Republic of Ireland, the main signalling system is the Continuous Automatic Warning System (CAWS), a system developed by WABCO (now sourced by Alstom) and first introduced in 1984; it is now used on the majority of the network. ETCS Level 1 is also fitted, but not operational, on the Great Northern Mainline from Dundalk to Greystones, and further rollout is being conducted with plans to fit the majority of the network by 2040.
In Northern Ireland, the railway network is signalled by AWS and TPWS, which requires a signalling changeover at the border near Newry. NIR Class 3000 and IÉ 201 Class are equipped with both systems to allow cross-border services.
History
The first railway in Ireland opened in 1834. At its peak in 1920, Ireland had of railway; now only about half of this remains. A large area around the border has no rail service.
Ireland's first light rail line was opened on 30 June 2004.
Rolling stock Locomotives
Diesel traction is the sole form of motive power in both the IÉ and NIR networks, apart from the electrified Howth/Malahide-Greystones Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) suburban route in Dublin. Apart from prototypes and a small number of shunting locomotives, the first major dieselisation programme in CIÉ commenced in the early 1950s with orders for 94 locomotives of two sizes (A and C classes) from Metropolitan-Vickers which were delivered from 1955, with a further twelve (B class) locomotives from Sulzer in the late 1950s. Following poor reliability experience with the first generation diesel locomotives, in the 1960s a second dieselisation programme was undertaken with the introduction of sixty-four locomotives in three classes (121, 141 and 181) built by General Motors, of the United States. This programme, together with line closures, enabled CIÉ to re-eliminate steam traction in 1963, having previously done so on the CIÉ network prior to taking over its share of the Great Northern Railway. In parallel, NIR acquired three locomotives from Hunslet, of England, for Dublin-Belfast services. The Metropolitan-Vickers locomotives were re-engined by CIÉ in the early 1970s with General Motors engines.
The third generation of diesel traction in Ireland was the acquisition of eighteen locomotives from General Motors of 2475 h.p. output, designated the 071 class, in 1976. This marked a significant improvement in the traction power available to CIÉ and enabled the acceleration of express passenger services. NIR subsequently purchased three similar locomotives for Dublin-Belfast services, which was the first alignment of traction policies by CIÉ and NIR.
A fourth generation of diesels took the form of thirty-four locomotives, again from General Motors, which arrived in the early 1990s. This was a joint order by IÉ and NIR, with thirty-two locomotives for the former and two for the latter. They were again supplied by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. IÉ designated their locomotives the GM 201 class; numbered 201 to 234 (the NIR locomotives were later prefixed with an 8). These locomotives are the most powerful diesels to run in Ireland, and are of 3200 horsepower (2.5 MW), which enabled further acceleration of express services. The NIR locomotives, although shipped in NIR livery, were repainted in 'Enterprise' livery, as were six of the IÉ locomotives.
The 071 class are now used on freight services. NIR's three similar locomotives are numbered 111, 112 and 113. There is seldom more than one of these serviceable at a time.
Multiple units
NIR and IÉ both run suburban services using diesel multiple units (DMUs) – these are termed railcars in Ireland (see rail terminology).
Railcars in operation ClassImageTypeTop speedNumberRoutes operatedBuiltmphkm/h2600 ClassDiesel multiple unit70110819932800 Class75120820003000 Class90145232003–20054000 Class9014520 2010202122000 Class1001602007–201229000 Class75120292002–2005 Only 6 Class 3000 units are equipped with CAWS, which allows them to operate in the Republic of Ireland. Only 9 Class 22000 are equipped with TPWS and AWS, which allows them to operate in Northern Ireland.
IÉ DMUs operate all InterCity services apart from Dublin to Cork and some Dublin to Belfast services
Iarnród Éireann 29000 class Commuter railcars
Introduced between 2002 and 2005, the 29000 Class consists of 29 four-car sets built by CAF. These units primarily operate on suburban routes in the Greater Dublin area, offering a seating capacity of 185 per set.
Iarnród Éireann 2800 class railcars
The 2800 Class includes 10 two-car sets constructed by Tokyu Car Corporation in 2000. Initially deployed on regional services, these DMUs have been reassigned to various routes based on operational requirements, each set providing seating for 85 passengers.
Iarnród Éireann 2600 class railcars
Built by Tokyu Car Corporation and introduced in 1993, the 2600 Class comprises 17 two-car sets. These units were the first modern DMUs purchased for the network and were initially used on suburban services.
NI Railways 3000 class railcars
The 3000 Class DMUs, manufactured by CAF, were introduced between 2004 and 2005. This fleet consists of 23 three-car sets, each with a seating capacity of approximately 212 passengers.
NI Railways 4000 class railcars
The 4000 Class DMUs, also built by CAF, entered service between 2011 and 2012. The fleet comprises 20 sets, configured into both three-car and six-car formations. Each three-car set offers seating for 216 passengers, while six-car sets accommodate up to 442 passengers. These units feature enhanced seating capacity and fuel economy compared to earlier models. In 2018, an additional 21 vehicles were ordered to extend train lengths, facilitating longer formations and increased capacity.
Coaching stock
Mark 4 carriages
Iarnród Éireann's flagship InterCity fleet are the Mark 4.
Built by CAF of Spain in 2004–2005 they are formed into 8-car push-pull sets. Each set contains (in order): GM 201 class locomotive 5 Standard class carriages 1 restaurant carriage 1 'Citygold' (first class) carriage Generator Control Car
The Mark 4 trains have blue tinted windows, electronic route maps showing train progress, electronic seat reservation displays and power points for laptops, or recharging tablets, MP3 players or mobile phones. Citygold customers on this fleet have the added features of adjustable seating, greater room and comfort and in-seat audio entertainment. They are used exclusively on the Dublin to Cork route; operating an hourly service each way.
The Mark 4 trains are capable of speeds of up to , but are limited to a maximum speed of , due to the lines they run on and the locomotives that pull them.
Enterprise services The Dublin to Belfast 'Enterprise' service is operated jointly by IÉ and NIR with rolling stock from De Dietrich, commissioned in 1997. Four Mark 3 Generator vans were introduced in September 2012. Until then, 201 Class locomotives were required to supply head-end power (HEP) for heating and lighting. Since late 2024, with a timetable change increasing services up to every hour on Enterprise, Translink Class 3000 and Irish Rail 22000 Class trains have also began running on the Enterprise.
Previous stock NIR also had a number of refurbished Class 488 carriages acquired from the Gatwick Express service and converted to run on the Irish gauge. These were generally referred to as 'the Gatwicks'. They were in use from 2001 until June 2009.
Passenger services
Below is a list of all passenger routes on the island of Ireland. Please note the following when examining routes:
Services below usually, but not necessarily always, involve a change of trains. Changing points are shown in bold type. Services at different times of day will serve a different subset of the stations shown below. The "stations served" lists all possible stops for any train on a given route. As an example, some services to Limerick do not involve a change at Limerick Junction, and some services to Cork may stop at Limerick Junction, Charleville and Mallow only.
Republic of Ireland InterCity routes Dublin to Cork
Stations served on this line are Dublin Heuston Portlaoise Ballybrophy Templemore Thurles Limerick Junction Charleville Mallow Cork Kent
This was known as the 'Premier Line' of the Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR), being one of the longest routes in the country (266 km or 165 miles), built to a high standard and connecting to Galway, Limerick, Waterford and County Kerry, as well as to Cork. These other destinations all have their own services, although connections are offered to/from the Cork service at Limerick Junction (for Limerick) and Mallow (for Kerry). As of 2019 the line is receiving a major upgrade focusing this year between Newbridge and Ballybrophy. There are possessions of most sections of the line every night to carry out relaying. There are also disruptions and cancellations on most weekends. All relaying is using a much heavier rail to give a much smoother ride on trains. The new track at 60 kg, is the same that is used on the TGV in France. As the upgrading continues there are speed restrictions which are affecting punctuality of trains. A new platform is under construction at Limerick Junction on the down line which will reduce conflicts and reduce journey times by 3–5 minutes. A fourth track is planned between Park West-Cherry Orchard and Heuston which is also intended to further reduce journey times.
As of 2025, 13 out of 34 services on the route daily are delivered in 2 hours 32 mins or under. 11 trains operate the service in between 2 hours 30 mins and 2 hours 35 mins, with all services 2 hours 40 mins or less. An early morning express service from Cork to Dublin makes the non-stop journey in 2 hours 14 mins.
Dublin to Limerick Stations served on this line are: Dublin Heuston Sallins and Naas Newbridge Kildare Monasterevin Portarlington Portlaoise Ballybrophy Templemore
Limerick Junction Limerick Colbert
This service follows the Cork route as far as Limerick Junction.