New Waterford to Dublin train schedule
The improved schedule has been welcomed in Waterford. File pic.
A new schedule of train services is due to begin between Waterford and Dublin from Monday, August 26.
The new schedule has been welcomed by Waterford Green Party TD, Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh who said “it’s heartening” to see the new service come onstream.
The extra Dublin to Waterford service, in each direction, will leave Dublin at 8.20pm hours and serve stations to Carlow and additional stations at Muine Bheag, Kilkenny and Thomastown, as it makes it way to Waterford every day from Monday to Saturday.
There will be a new, additional each way Dublin/Waterford/Dublin service on Sundays, bringing the total number of services to five in each direction.
Commenting on the development, Deputy Ó Cathasaigh said: “It is very heartening to see these new evening services between Dublin, Kilkenny and Waterford come on stream. This is something I have been advocating for with my colleague and Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan and Jim Meade, CEO of Irish Rail.”
“Frequent services are a necessity if we want our regions to thrive,” he said, adding that connectivity will attract employers and employees to Waterford and the South East, particularly as working from home is embraced by businesses.
“It is especially important to see good connectivity between Kilkenny and Waterford, for students and commuters alike,” he said.
He also commented that passenger numbers had grown significantly in recent years, saying they had recovered well since the pandemic.
He said the three existing services from Dublin to Waterford catered for 1,564 passengers on each journey in 2023, up from 1,269 in 2022 and 707 in 2021, it was positive news.
“The new [8.20pm] service will likely see comparable numbers and I am confident that passenger numbers on both evening services – from Waterford to Dublin and from Dublin to Waterford – will grow significantly over the coming year,” he said.
