WHATEVER PLANS YOU have this Bank Holiday weekend, check ahead to make sure your travel plans go smoothly – there are a number of disruptions this weekend affecting Irish Rail services.

During a bank holiday weekend, the number of road traffic accidents tend to increase. Ahead of this Bank Holiday weekend, Gardaí urged road users to be more vigilant, and in particular, not to use mobile phones while driving:

“Ahead of the bank holiday weekend we (and everyone on your friends list) ask that you stop putting up social media stories of yourself driving. Driving requires all of your attention. When you get into your car you become a driver… not a vlogger.”

If you’re taking the train, there are a few events affecting Iarnród Éireann’s services. One of those is the beginning of singer Ed Sheeran‘s Shape of You tour, with three gigs at Cork’s Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Extra trains will operate after the Ed Sheeran concerts at Pairc Uí Chaoimh as follows:

• 11.40pm Cork to Midleton, serving all stations to Midleton
• 11.45pm Cork to Mallow
• 11.50pm Cork to Cobh, serving all stations to Cobh

Connolly Station. Leah Farrell via RollingNews.ie Leah Farrell via RollingNews.ie

Because Iarnród Éireann are laying down new tracks, no trains will run between Connolly and Howth this Saturday and Sunday:

No Darts will operate between Connolly and Howth/Malahide. Dublin Bus will accept rail tickets for affected areas. Connolly to Bray/Greystones will operate to a normal schedule.

In relation to the Northern Commuter, bus transfers will operate between Connolly and Malahide, with trains between Malahide and Drogheda/Dundalk, to a revised schedule

For those who take the Belfast Enterprise, Bus transfers will operate between Connolly and Drogheda, with trains between Drogheda and Belfast. This will also be in place for the 7.35pm Connolly to Belfast service on Bank Holiday Monday.

Today, there will be some revised timings on Heuston Intercity routes:

• 5.50am Cork to Dublin Heuston deferred to 6.40am
• 7am Cork to Dublin Heuston deferred to 7.40am
• All other services from Cork to Dublin Heuston deferred by 20/25 minutes to depart at XX.40/45.

On the Bank Holiday Monday, there will be a pared back schedule on all Intercity routes, Dart and Commuter services will work off a Sunday schedule, and Cork Commuter services will operate as follows:

• Cork to Cobh: hourly from 8am to 21.00hrs, and then at 10.30pm
• Cobh to Cork: hourly from 8.30am to 9.30pm, and then at 11pm
• Cork to Midleton: hourly from 8.15am to 10.15pm
• Midleton to Cork: hourly from 8.45am to 10.45pm.