IRISH RAIL HAS today lodged a planning application for a new train station at Dunkettle in Co Cork.  

This is the second planning application for a new railway station in the county, just weeks after Irish Rail made an application for a station at Blackpool in Cork. 

These are the first of eight new stations to be delivered under the commuter rail programme, which is aiming to “transform rail services in the Cork region by building to a ten-minute frequency across all three lines of the commuter network”. 

The proposed station developments at Dunkettle and Blackpool are located on existing Irish Rail land, with Dunkettle station set to be a major park and ride facility.

Irish Rail will be strategically located near the Dunkettle interchange and will provide easy access to major roads such as the M8 and N25, which Irish Rail says will help “ease congestion on the intersection and intercept traffic before it enters the city”.

The new Dunkettle station will be served by commuter lines Cork to Cobh and Cork to Midleton, providing an initial 15-minute service for Dunkettle catchment.

Irish Rail says a significant service uplift can be expected following completion of the wider Cork area commuter rail programme of works, up to every five minutes each way. 

Around 300 car parking spaces will be provided alongside the new station, with scope for additional parking capacity to be introduced on a phased basis and based on demand.  

The station will be fully accessible with two platforms connected by a pedestrian footbridge from either side of the railway via stairs and accessible lifts.

Construction of the stations is expected to commence in 2027 and take up to two years to complete, subject to planning approvals and funding allocation.

Irish Rail is also set to apply for planning for the electrification of the Cork network, an additional six stations and a depot for the new fleet.

In a statement, Irish Rail has said that enhancing the Cork rail network’s capacity and resilience via accelerated delivery of Blackpool and Dunkettle Stations is “essential to supporting projected passenger numbers and promoting rail transport as a strong alternative to the private car.”