THE TOTAL NUMBER of people who travelled on Ireland’s rail network in 2012 was 39.9 million – a slight decrease on the previous year, according to new figures.

Iarnród Éireann said that while the number of people taking the DART increased by 6 per cent  in the second half of the year, the first six months of the year were weak across all rail services, leading to the overall lower figure.

The number of people travelling on Intercity and Commuter services remained broadly the same as in 2011.

The major growth in people booking online, increased sales of monthly and annual tickets and the increase in student ticket sales were behind the improved demand in the second half of the year.

A spokesperson for Iarnród Éireann welcomed the stabilisation of passenger numbers after several years of decreases.

“After a number of years of decline in passenger numbers it is encouraging to see growth once again on the DART and a stabilisation of passenger numbers on Commuter and Intercity Services,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The company said the strong second half of the year bodes well for passenger growth in 2013.

Two new Iarnród Éireann stations – one at Oranmore Parkway in Galway and one in Hansfield in west Dublin – are set to open this year.

Read: Iarnród Éireann makes route changes for 2013 >

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Read: Commuters see price increases on buses, trains and trams >

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