The first train has run on the reinstated Limerick-Foynes Freight Line, ahead of the 2027 restoration of rail access to Ireland’s Port of Foynes. The two-car passenger unit operated during testing over a public holiday weekend at the end of October. It was the first train to traverse the route since its decommissioning in 2001.
The €151.5 million project will restore freight services along the 42-kilometre route between Limerick and Foynes. Commercial operations are expected to begin in early 2027, following completion of infrastructure testing and driver training. The reopening will reconnect the deep-water port to Ireland’s national rail network. It is intended to support both bulk and intermodal traffic, offering businesses an alternative to road transport and strengthening the port’s role in the wider logistics network.
First train marks start of commissioning
Work has been underway on the line for three years to reconnect the west coast port to the network. Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) confirmed that the first test train successfully traversed the reinstated route during the October bank holiday weekend. A two-car passenger unit was deployed in the initial run. The train is being used to shake down signalling and telecommunications infrastructure.
“Adverse weather conditions presented some challenges to the long weekend’s testing schedule,” said an Iarnród Éireann spokesperson. “The dedicated on-site testing team ran the first test train on the newly reinstated line, a significant milestone and the first train to run on the line since its decommissioning in 2001.” The test unit is expected to return regularly over the coming weeks.
Reconnecting Foynes to the national freight network
The reinstatement covers 42 kilometres of track between Limerick and Foynes. The work includes signalling and telecommunications infrastructure, improvements to level crossings and refurbishment of Foynes station. Thirteen public road level crossings have been reinstated with CCTV monitoring, replacing the previous gated arrangements. Track laying was completed during 2025.
The strategic importance of the investment was outlined in Seanad Éireann (the Irish Parliament) earlier this year. Minister of State Christopher O’Sullivan said the reinstated connection would support growth in both intermodal and bulk traffic. He also identified mining, power generation and intermodal container transport as potential sources of additional traffic. Shannon Foynes Port is classified as a core port under the European Union’s TEN-T network. “The rail freight network in Ireland is currently an underutilised asset,” he said.
Asset for the port … and golf
Shannon Foynes Port Company chief executive Pat Keating has also highlighted the potential for the line. Speaking to the Limerick Leader newspaper, he said the first commercial services were expected during the first three months of 2027. He sees the connection as an opportunity to develop logistics activity around the port and contribute to a shift away from road haulage.
The reinstatement project is also providing the infrastructure for a temporary passenger station at Adare, ahead of the Ryder Cup in September 2027. Construction of the platform and external concourse is being funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority. The station is intended to accommodate thousands of spectators travelling to and from the golf competition at Adare Manor.
Iarnród Éireann expects special services to operate as a shuttle between Limerick Junction and Adare, connecting with trains from Dublin and Cork. Limerick Junction is approximately 30km from Limerick city and is adjacent to Tipperary Racecourse. The arrangement will not provide a direct train service from Limerick Colbert station. The historic Cork Direct Curve, which once allowed trains arriving from Foynes and Tralee to enter Limerick station without reversing, was closed and lifted in September 1975.