Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question and the opportunity to discuss the issue of increased capacity and the frequency on our rail lines, specifically the Dublin-Rosslare rail line. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, has responsibility for policy and overall funding for public transport, however, neither he nor my Department have a role in the day-to-day provision, operation, or maintenance of subsidised bus and rail services. That is the responsibility, first and foremost, of the NTA, in conjunction with public transport operators such as Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, Go-Ahead Ireland, Luas or, in this instance, Iarnród Éireann.

Iarnród Éireann has advised that its operational fleet is fully deployed in the provision of scheduled services at present, in line with prevailing passenger demand across the network. The current capacity is primarily based on demand levels pre-Covid, when rapid growth in passenger demand resulted in the use of 100% of the company's operational fleet at peak times. Post-Covid, demand remains suppressed in the short term, and as we continue to exit the Covid-19 restrictions, significantly altered travel patterns have emerged.

Iarnród Éireann has advised that it intends to undertake an analysis of this new trend in customer habits and adapt its timetable to meet customer demands. It is expected this assessment will take a number of months as travel patterns become established, with a phased return to the workplace over the coming months, depending on the prevailing epidemiological situation. Once this process has been completed, a timetable and capacity proposal will be prepared and issued for public consultation on the Irish Rail website. It is currently estimated that this process will commence in the second quarter of 2022.

The recently announced national development plan will see the introduction of additional infrastructure which will relieve congestion on the network while also delivering new trains to provide greater capacity for increasing passenger numbers into the future. A range of projects are under way which will continue over the next 12 months, such as the national train control centre, track laying and new intercity railcars. These 41 carriages are under construction and scheduled for delivery in 2022.

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