Construction is set to begin this year on a new €135 million rail control centre based in Heuston Station, Dublin, Minister for Transport Shane Ross has announced.
The project will replace an older traffic control station in Connolly Station, which is currently at capacity. It will enable more services on the national rail network, and the Dart service in Dublin.
Construction work on the new centre, which is being funded by the Government's 2040 plan, is due to begin this year, and should be in operation by 2024. It will be sited alongside the Dublin City Council and Garda Síochána traffic management control units.
Irish Rail’s existing control centre in Connolly Station is nearing the end of its life, but will become a national back-up in time.
Saying that services for passengers will improve, Mr Ross described the investment as “hugely significant”, and one that would help “massively expand rail services in the coming years”.
Jim Meade, chief executive of Irish Rail, said it would encourage more people to use public transport at a time when mobility, congestion and climate change questions become increasingly important.
