Ireland's Railways, Including Cross-Border possibilities

Why has Ireland's cross-border railway plan gone off track?

While the trains once seemed to run through virtually every village on the island, the rise of the car meant that more public money was soon put into roads instead of rail.

And although a revolutionary railway revival is highly unlikely, there was some hope of improvement when a cross-Irish border review was announced in April 2021.

Nichola Mallon, then the minister responsible for transport in Northern Ireland, and Eamon Ryan, her counterpart in the Republic of Ireland, promised an "ambitious piece of work" that would help inform decision-making and investment for years to come.

High-speed rail improvements between Cork, Dublin, Belfast and the north-west of the island have been considered as part of that work.

Possible rail extensions across both jurisdictions, including a previously-explored link between counties Donegal and Londonderry, have also been examined.
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