Irish Rail to hire 80 train drivers, with new roles based in Cork

Iarnród Éireann has launched new recruitment campaign for up to 80 train driver positions.

The Irish Rail network is seeking applicants from Cork to join the team.

The company is also recruiting for train drivers in Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Portlaoise and Waterford.

Speaking about the recruitment drive, Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann, Jim Meade said: “Iarnród Éireann is a dynamic organisation, which offers excellent progression opportunities. With the planned expansion of services as part of the National Development Plan, it is an exciting time to become part of a growing organisation.

“We are also seeing great interest in careers in Iarnród Éireann from a range of backgrounds – we are a diverse and inclusive employer, and in particular we urge more women to apply for driver roles, and are encouraged by the increasing interest from women in recent recruitment drives.

He added: "We don’t just offer jobs; we offer careers and opportunities. I myself, joined the railway as an Apprentice, and with a European Railway and CIPD-award winning Talent Management function within Iarnród Éireann, we believe we stand alongside any organisation in enabling our people to make the most of their potential.”

As an Iarnród Éireann train driver your duty will be to deliver safe, customer-focused journeys, with scope to continue on to future roles in supervisory and management positions.

Candidates must be willing to work various shift patterns including weekend work. Iarnród Éireann will match the responsibility of this safety-critical role with a salary scale that can reach a maximum of €63k per annum. Successful candidates will develop full operational knowledge prior to qualification as part of the Train Driver Training programme.

The company has urged more women to consider applying for the new roles and has also highlighted the diverse range of previous careers from which recent driver recruits have come from.

The recruitment of new staff comes as the company is set to grow in coming years.

The rail company has said that its investment programme, part of the National Development Plan 2021 to 2030, is set to see the rail services grow and customer service enhanced.

This includes a record fleet investment, with 185 carriages of the largest, most sustainable rail fleet investment in Irish history on order, and up to 750 carriages planned for the next decade.

Major investment has also been confirmed for rail services in Galway, Cork, Limerick and Waterford.

This investment will see improved speeds and services between Cork and other major cities.