IRISH RAIL HAS urged anyone who plans on using the train this weekend to pre-book their ticket due to what is expected to be a huge demand for the service.

In a statement, Iarnród Éireann reminded customers intending to travel by rail for the Bloom Festival and over the June Bank Holiday weekend to book Intercity travel as soon as possible.

The Bank Holiday weekend will see an “unprecedented number of major events the length and breadth of the country, which is expected to result in the busiest weekend on rail and all transport services since before the pandemic”.  

Over 200,000 customers will travel on Intercity rail services alone, the provider said. 

A number of trains on the Cork and Kerry to Dublin routes have already sold out for Thursday and Saturday June, as well as trains to and from GAA fixtures across the weekend.

“As a result, pre-booking of Intercity travel is absolutely essential across the weekend, as many more trains are expected to sell out,” the statement read.

Iarnród Éireann will operate additional services where possible and maximise capacity to meet the expected demand. 

Events taking place include:

• Bloom, Phoenix Park (Thursday to Monday)
• Women’s Mini-Marathon
• Cork City Marathon
• Leinster Hurling Final, Croke Park
• Munster Hurling Final, Semple Stadium
• GAA Football Championship fixtures
• Forbidden Fruit Festival, Kilmainham
• Rise Live Festival, Galway
• The Cat Laughs Festival, Kilkenny
• Live from the Marquee, Cork
• St Anne’s Park Concerts, Dublin
• Wildroots Festival, Sligo
• Live @ The Docklands, Limerick
• Cobh cruise ship visits

A spokesperson for Iarnród Éireann said: “The June weekend really feels like the weekend when the whole country is celebrating a return to better times, with so many sports, cultural and music events taking place.  

“We want everyone who travels with us on Intercity services to do so in comfort, so we urge all intending to travel to book immediately:   these trains will sell out, and with rail fares now 20% lower following public transport fare cuts in recent weeks, customers will be able to avoid both congestion and higher fuel costs by booking today.”