By Mary Bermingham, TheCork.ie; February 4, 2019
A total of 3.46 million passenger journeys were recorded on the Dublin/Cork rail line in 2018, the highest ever figures recorded on the route. This represents a 10% increase on 2017. Strong growth was also recorded on the Cork/Midleton route with passenger numbers growing 5.8% from 413,000 in 2017 to 437,000 in 2018. Cork/Cobh numbers remained steady with 908,000 passenger journeys being made in 2018.
The Cork Dublin service continues to be Iarnród Éireann’s flagship Intercity service, with 31 services a day operating. With improved journey times and major traffic congestion caused by roadworks on the M7, more people are opting to take the train when travelling between the two cities. Economic improvements, greater numbers of people in employment, and record tourist numbers have all contributed to the increase in journeys. The Cork Midleton Line performed particularly strongly and will celebrate 10 years of operation later this year.