Construction starts on new platform at Cork’s Kent Station
Of Hugely Chief The “a Of Start Executive Iarnród For The Rail Milestone” Cork Meade Hailed Expansion Work As The Services Significant éireann Jim
Construction work has started on a new platform at Cork’s Kent train station that will allow high-frequency commuter trains run direct from Mallow through the city to Midleton or Cobh.
The new platform will increase passenger capacity at the city train station but once it's ready by the end of 2024, it will facilitate the through-running of a larger and more frequent commuter rail service through Kent Station as envisaged by the landmark Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS) public transport plan.
CMATS proposes a new commuter rail network capable of carrying up to 2,500 passengers per direction per hour on 10-minute frequency services at peak times, along an upgraded 62km suburban rail network that will cater for up to 16 million passengers annually.
John Cradock Ltd is the main contractor for the new platform with construction work taking place entirely within the existing railway corridor on Iarnród Éireann land.
The contract includes the construction of a 220-metre long, six-metre wide, double-sided extension to platform 5, facilitating the creation of a new platform 6, the installation of canopies on the new platform to protect passengers from the elements, and the re-instatement of the eastern access to the existing underpass.
Iarnród Éireann chief executive Jim Meade hailed the start of the work as “a hugely significant milestone” for the expansion of Cork rail services.
“We have over the past 15 months increased off-peak Cork commuter services, leading to passenger numbers in excess of pre-covid levels. Now, we can start building our network for the major expansion to meet the sustainable transport needs of the future,” he said.
Anne Graham, the chief executive of the National Transport Authority (NTA), said the investment will facilitate direct services between Mallow and Cobh or Midleton, as well as increased frequency and capacity on the commuter network.
“This project is a key element of CMATS and will put Kent Station at the heart of public transport in the city and the region,” she said.
The ‘through platform project’ is a key part of the wider Cork Area Commuter Rail scheme — a series of separate but related investment projects, which are all designed to deliver on the CMATS vision of a high-frequency and electrified commuter rail network for the wider Metropolitan Cork area.
As well as the new platform, the scheme also includes:
- double-tracking between Glounthaune and Midleton;
- a massive signalling upgrade project;
- the delivery of new rolling stock;
- the development of several new commuter rail stations, including at Monard, Blackpool, Tivoli, Carrigtwohill West and Water Rock, on the Mallow to Midleton line, and at Ballynoe on the Cork to Cobh line;
- improvements to the existing stations at Cobh, Mallow and Kent.
With a combined investment of at least €254m, it represents the largest ever investment in the city’s rail network.
CMATS says the commuter network should provide passengers with improved journey times — with a 50-minute journey predicted for the Mallow to Midleton or Cobh route, a 25-minute journey between Midleton and Kent, 12 minutes from Blarney to Kent, and 20 minutes from Cobh to Kent.
The project is largely funded by the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility, under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.