There have been continuous complaints about overcrowding on the Waterford-Dublin train line – however, with the new train station due to open on the North Quays by the end of 2027, many have identified the railway as a key piece of infrastructure that will play a central role in Waterford’s future ambitions, including the ultimate goal of having an hourly train service between Waterford and Dublin.
While there are complaints of overcrowding and calls for additional services, reforming the railways is a slow process.
In Waterford, local reports have suggested that the Waterford Dublin service is terminally limited due to issues around MacDonagh station in Kilkenny.
In 2025 the Waterford to Heuston service had an additional 200,000 journeys bringing the total number up to a reported 1.9 million on that line alone.
TD Mark Wall (Kildare North) who was using the Waterford-Dublin railway line recently, highlighted in the Dáil what he called ‘a nightmare story’ on the train, in which a passenger told him: “… on the second last carriage, there are 18 people standing in the two vestibules by the doors. Two are a retired couple, very unsteady on their feet, who keep stumbling and are struggling to hold on as the train moves over uneven ground”.
“We just stopped at Newbridge and now there are 12 extra people standing in this space and down the aisles. I’m currently standing on the join between the two trains, which means I’m bouncing around like a yo yo.”
Deputy Wall told the Dáil that these ‘horror stories’ are coming from multiple lines where people are ‘packed in like sardines’.
Deputy Wall also suggested that there is no solution until at least next year.
“It is unlikely that commuters are going to see any expansion of frequency or capacity on the Waterford line until 2027, and hopefully no later, which means the only other solution is to continue with overcrowding,” he said.
SIX CARRIAGE WATERFORD
Speaking at the September Plenary meeting of Waterford City and County Council, Cllr. Joe Kelly and Cllr. Blaise Hannigan highlighted issues around Kilkenny’s MacDonagh station, suggesting these were the reasons Waterford to Heuston line had limited capacity.
“I’m sure everyone is aware of it,” said Cllr. Kelly. “But there is no second line at that junction and the trains are all held up, one can’t pass the other and so on. They can do so in practically every other part of the country but not there.
“A section of the platform was sold during the development phase, so that section was never developed on that side of the platform, so I’m asking can we write to the relevant officials with a view to purchasing back that piece of platform so that in due course then we could have eight carriages at least,” Cllr. Kelly said.
“We operate on six carriages, every other train that’s intercity has eight. Waterford can only have six, it’s overcrowded, Cllr. Kelly said. “So, the extension of the platform would certainly allow for eight carriages on the Waterford Dublin route rather than just six, we are very curtailed.”
Later in the same meeting, Cllr. Blaise Hannigan, said: “All services to Dublin from the main cities in Ireland are arriving between 8.00 and 8.30 in the morning. The service from Waterford arrives at 10.00 am, and the reason for that is because we have a single rail. The reason why we have only six carriages leaving Waterford for Dublin every morning is because we have a single rail. Everywhere else from Kilkenny onwards has a dual rail.
“That land that was sold there [MacDonagh Station] was sold over 15 years ago. So, I say Gabriel [Hynes Director of Services] speak to your counterpart in Kilkenny, and hopefully Kilkenny Council could maybe CPO this, or Iarnród Éireann could buy this so Waterford can come in line with everywhere else in the country,” Cllr. Hannigan said.
“We have the North Quays, we have the new train station, this will bring more people to Waterford, this is well worth pursuing in the future,” he added.
A CPO allows a council buys a property even though the owner of the property may not give consent. These are relatively rare and are usually used when a site is derelict or for major developments like the greenway or the airport.
MYTHS DISPELLED
Both Cllr. Kelly and Cllr. Hannigan were referencing reports in local media which laid out the issues with Waterford’s rail services as they describe.
The Munster Express contacted Barry Kenny, Corporate Communications Manager of Irish Rail, who dispelled some of the myths and provided interesting facts regarding Waterford’s rail service.
Mr. Kenny explained that delays in MacDonagh usually amount to four minutes to allow the driver to swap to the other end of the train.
Mr. Kenny also explained that MacDonagh Station does have two tracks, but the line approaching the station is a single track. According to Mr. Kenny most of the line from Waterford to Dublin is single track and almost all intercity rail routes in Ireland run on a single track.
“Most services stop at Kilkenny for four minutes, simply to allow the driver change ends,” he explained. “The Dublin to Waterford line is predominantly single track (as is the case with our entire Intercity network other than Dublin-Cork and Dublin-Belfast) with passing sections of track at stations and other key locations. If a train is crossing another service at Kilkenny, there are a small number of instances where the Kilkenny stop is longer. But MacDonagh Station itself has two tracks, it is the line approaching it that is single.
“It is platform lengths which determine maximum train size, not single or double track, and it is the case that the maximum train size which can serve MacDonagh Station is six-carriages (our Intercity trains typically operate at up to seven carriages).
“We do have a small number of services which do not call at Kilkenny (including the Friday-only 16:05hrs Heuston to Waterford, and Friday and Saturday 16:05hrs Waterford to Heuston) but we have significant demand for travel between Waterford and Kilkenny, which must be addressed,” he agreed.
Mr. Kenny clarified that land does not have to be repurchased to allow the MacDonagh platform to be expanded. In-fact Irish Rail have highlighted land in their ownership which could facilitate the platform expansion, but that these works would rely upon national funding and transport strategy.
“The claim that we cannot expand in MacDonagh because the land has been sold is untrue – the old train shed and area beyond the buffer stops at Kilkenny remains in our ownership,” Mr. Kenny said.
“We would aspire in the future to extend the platform here, but timing of this will be dependent on phasing of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review plans and associated funding approval. In addition, we want to expand service frequency on the route – however, we currently operate all available trains on a daily basis, outside of required maintenance cycles to ensure fleet reliability and any repair works which may be taking place.”
Ultimately, Mr. Kenny said the goal is to have an hourly service running from Waterford to Dublin. New trains due to enter the fleet soon could mean more trains will be available for the Waterford Plunkett line.
“However, as our new DART trains begin to enter service, this will also allow Intercity and Commuter trains currently operating the Greater Dublin Area to be used on other routes around the network. Their deployment will be subject to review with and the approval of the National Transport Authority, subject to demand and infrastructure capacity at the time,” he said.
“Ultimately, the goal is to build towards an hourly service, with infrastructure interventions and additional fleet required to achieve this.”
OTHER DIRECTIONS
On 21 October, during the joint committee on transport in the Dáil, a TD highlighted that late departure times meant the train was not a viable option for people looking to travel to Waterford for work and study.
Tipperary South TD, Michael Murphy said: “The Waterford-Limerick Junction line … particularly as it applies to my home town of Clonmel. I am thinking of the many students and workers who want to commute from Clonmel to Waterford each morning. Unfortunately, the timetable is, in essence, useless for those cohorts”.
“The only train service each day departs sometime after 10.30 am, which I presume does not get into Waterford until well after 11.00 am. What are the plans for the Waterford-Limerick Junction line? Can Irish Rail give a commitment that it will make the existing timetable more user-friendly?
“For students and workers who want to commute every day to Waterford and get there in time for work or college, can Irish Rail commit to revising the 10.39 am departure time? Will it look at having greater frequency, with additional trains on the line?” he asked.
In reply to this Mary Considine, Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann, said a passing loop would be constructed for Clonmel by 2030. To which, TD Murphy asked that the existing service be provided earlier, even if it stays at the same frequency. Ms Considine committed to looking at the issue again.
ROSSLARE LINE
Another area of interest for Waterford is the reinstatement of the Rosslare to Waterford line, which closed in 2010, but could bring people to the City from all across Wexford.
New Ross TD George Lawlor, also referenced an expected 400% increase in freight traffic coming from the expansion of Rosslare Europort, as he asked: “The 2024 all-Ireland strategic rail review proposed that the Waterford-Rosslare line would be one of three lines to be reinstated by 2030”.
“However, in December 2025 the Department of Transport omitted any reference to the line when it published works for prioritisation by 2040. Why did that happen?”
In reply to this, Barry Kenny, Corporate Communications Manager at Iarnród Éireann said: “The rail review discussed a study at that time in the context of freight. Obviously, Irish Rail is developing Rosslare Europort for offshore renewable energy, as Deputy Lawlor knows and supports. Our strategy is that when that process is over there will then be the opportunity for rail freight”.
He went on to explain that although last year’s publication by the Department of Transport did not show the Rosslare-Waterford line as an immediate priority, this did not mean the plan to reinstate the line had come undone.
“There is a misunderstanding of what the prioritisation programme said,” continued Mr. Kenny. “It did not take away the rest of the all-Ireland strategic rail review. It was about projects to get into the planning pipeline straight away, but it is not saying that the Waterford-Rosslare line is not being reinstated.
“That remains the longer term plan for that route,” he added.
FAI CUP FINAL
In response to huge demand, Irish Rail have also initiated two special trains to carry Waterford FC supporters to Dublin for the FAI Cup Final on 8 November.
“We are now operating two additional special trains each way for Waterford Utd supporters travelling to the FAI Cup Final,” explained Mr. Kenny.
The service is as follows:
08:15 Waterford to Heuston*
09:05 Waterford to Heuston
10:15 Waterford to Heuston*
18:50 Heuston to Waterford
19:20 Heuston to Waterford*
19:45 Heuston to Waterford*
*Special additional trains, running non-stop.
Showing just how in-demand these trains were, Mr. Kenny explained that “all of the above trains are sold out”.
“Customers are reminded that there will be no tickets available for sale at stations on the day of travel, and they must travel on the specific train they have booked,” he added.
AARON KENT Funded by the Local democracy Reporting Scheme
