Council calls for more rail stations on Mallow line

Additional railway stations must be opened on the line between Charleville and Cork city and better rail and bus connectivity is needed at existing and new stations, according to Cork County Council.

Senior council officials, led by CEO Moira Murrell, have made a submission to Irish Rail, as part of a public consultation in to its [url=

https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-41907340.html] future plans for enhancing rail services.

[/url]While Irish Rail is planning to open a new station at Monard, near Blarney — on the Charleville route — the council is asking it to consider opening additional rail stations on that line, because of plans for increased frequency of trains to and from Mallow.

In the submission, Ms Murrell wrote: ‘The proposal to route the M20 scheme adjacent to the rail corridor in some locations and the development of interchanges present opportunities for improved access and routes to develop rail stations and this should now be considered.’

Along with senior planning and transportation officials, Ms Murrell said that a ‘timely delivery’ of a new railway station proposed for Water Rock, to the west of Midleton, would help residents of the thousands of planned houses ‘to develop sustainable travel patterns from the outset’.

Congestion on roads around Midleton — the town is predicted to soon overtake Carrigaline as the largest in the county — has become chronic, and the N25 to Cork is already over-capacity.

The local authority’s County Development Plan — the blueprint for growth in the region — has stressed that major housing is planned along the railway corridors connecting to Glounthaune, Little Island, Carrigtwohill, Midleton, and Cobh. It also identifies housing growth along the Charleville line, especially in Mallow.

The council has said that its plans for increased housing and commercial development in these areas are vital to the sustainability of improved rail services.

Ms Murrell said the council has developed a number of cycleways in the East Cork area, which will tie in to train stations and proposed stations, and these include Ballynoe on the northern side of Cobh and Carrigtwohill East.

The council submission said it’s “critically important” that reliable bus services are developed to connect to rail stations and not just confined to the Cork metropolitan area, but also serve links for people living in West and North Cork, Kerry, and West Waterford.

The submission is to be added to in the coming days, with further input from councillors.

Fianna Fail councillor Frank O’Flynn said Irish Rail must provide later trains out of Dublin to Cork.

“The last one departing Dublin is 9pm and should be pushed out to 10pm, as it was some years ago, when the ‘mail train’ was operating,” he said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Gillian Coughlan said parking tickets at railway stations should be booked in tandem with the purchase of rail tickets.

She said people often arrive into Kent station in Cork to find all the parking spaces full.

Social Democrats councillor Eamonn Horgan said earlier trains need to be scheduled from Midleton to Cork as people are unable to connect with the first morning train to Dublin.