Major investment in the West’s rail infrastructure would deliver ten-minute frequency on commuter trains between Galway and Athenry, and one-hour frequency on intercity services between Galway and Dublin.

But that much-improved frequency can only be delivered when twin tracking is provided between Galway and Athenry – projects that have not yet got Government funding approval.

On the other hand, two significant and necessary building blocks needed to achieve that overall goal of twin tracking – a revamped Ceannt Station in Galway and passing loop at Oranmore – are progressing at pace.

The Ceannt Station redevelopment represents an investment of €24m and is on track to be substantially completed by mid-2026. Irish Rail is also investing €16 million, including €9m from the European Regional Development Fund, in a second platform and passing loop at Oranmore Station.

Speaking about the projects after a stakeholder briefing in the Hardiman Hotel last week, Jim Meade, CEO of Iarnród Éireann said they were vital building blocks to build capacity, frequency, and reliability on the rail network in Galway.

“The Ceannt Station redevelopment is about converting what was a dark, one-and-a-half platform station into a five-platform station, and future-proofing it for decades and generations to come.”

Caption: An artist’s impression of the revamped Ceannt Station.

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