Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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18. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of extra carriages that have been allocated on the Dublin to Waterford train and the Waterford to Dublin train; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20801/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The deployment of new carriages is a matter in the first instance for Iarnród Éireann in consultation with the National Transport Authority (NTA), which has statutory responsibility for the development and delivery of certain public transport infrastructure, including the purchase of rolling stock.

In relation to the Deputy’s specific query, I have been advised by Iarnród Éireann that its operational fleet is fully deployed on scheduled services at present, in line with prevailing demand. The current capacity is primarily based on pre-COVID demand levels, when rapid growth in demand resulted in the utilisation of 100% of the operational fleet at peak times.

However, it is the case that additional and/or cascaded fleet will become available over the next 24months and the National Transport Authority and Iarnród Éireann are considering options for their deployment on the network.

The first element is the recent arrival of 41 additional intercity rail car carriages. As they are intermediate carriages, they will facilitate the lengthening of existing train sets. Iarnród Éireann is reviewing the proposed deployment with the NTA in the context of emerging post-COVID travel patterns, and Iarnród Éireann’s Strategy 2027 which targets service improvements on a number of routes, including on the Waterford-Dublin line and the new carriages will enter service as part of the next year’s timetable improvements.

The second element relates to the impending arrival in 2024 of the first of the new DART+ fleet. These carriages will be used on the used on Northern Commuter and existing DART services, to maximise capacity. This will also free up existing Intercity rail car and Commuter carriages for usage elsewhere on the network, and again this will be reviewed based on the above criteria.