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Nenagh Branch - 2008 Timetable News and Future Development

Irish Railway News and the Nenagh Rail Partnership are pleased to announce that further to the commitment given in 2006 by Dick Fearn, Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann, the new 2008 timetable will feature a commuter rail service from Nenagh to Limerick.

The additional services will commence in September 2008, affording IÉ sufficient time to eliminate the 25mph restrictions that are currently in place between Killonan Junction and Birdhill, and to allow for the availability of additional rolling stock to operate the service.

The new timetable will see the existing morning service from Limerick operate as a four-car train at about 06.40, arriving at Nenagh at about 07.30, where it will divide. Two cars will then return to Limerick from Nenagh at approximately 07.45, arriving in Limerick at around 08.35, while the other two cars will continue on to Ballybrophy to connect into the Dublin-bound service, as now.

In the evenings, the present train leaving Limerick for Ballybrophy at 16.40 will continue to operate. An extra service will leave Limerick at about 17.45, reaching Nenagh at around 18.35. This train will then return to Limerick.

The times given above are indicative under present line speeds, but with the elimination of the speed restrictions on the line these times will improve.

IÉ have indicated that if the service is well patronised, an additional lunchtime / mid-afternoon service could be added in the 2009 timetable.

A further very welcome development is the news from IÉ that the overall line speed on the entire branch would be raised to 60mph over a five year period, a move that will provide opportunities for additional services on the branch and which will allow the existing services to be accelerated significantly.

IÉ have also expressed a willingness to expand their relationship with the Nenagh Rail Partnership, Ireland’s first Community Rail Partnership, both in promoting the line and services, and for the Partnership to “adopt” their local stations.

Irish Railway News would like to acknowledge the hard work, time, energy and commitment to this project from all parties involved, and to emphasise that the introduction of this service is as a result of a significant amount of “behind the scenes” work. Despite negative comments from other quarters during this process, we view this as a victory for quiet diplomacy, and for the large local involvement from the various locations on the route.

The Partnership has been very successful in raising the awareness of the line locally, and especially among the younger population, and this is especially important, given that they are the commuters of the future.

Finally, we wish to also acknowledge the co-operation and commitment from Iarnród Éireann management over the last number of years, since our initial contacts were made, which has been a very positive feature of the entire process.

© IrishRailwayNews.Com  2008