Rail boss issues positive update on return of trains to Limerick village for Ryder Cup 2027

THE BOSS of Irish Rail has outlined his hope that passenger train services will run through Adare from January 2027 - months before the Ryder Cup tees off.

“The line can and will accommodate passenger traffic into the future. Can we have passenger trains running by January 2027? That’s our ambition and we believe we can,” Jim Meade said.

He added his company has commenced talks with the National Transport Authority on opening the line.

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The chief executive of the rail firm has also been in regular contact with Mayor John Moran, who is pushing for a rail service to assist workers who might be travelling to Adare Manor to work on the preparation for the tournament.

A commuter train would also provide an alternative to motorists driving to the city centre, who face tailbacks in the morning and evening peak through Adare village.

With the tournament just over two years away, Mr Meade says he would anticipate Adare hosting temporary rail platforms for the time being.

“We’ve done this before. We did it on the Maynooth line, we did it in Millstreet all those years ago for the Eurovision. Putting in temporary platforms is no big deal for us,” Mr Meade said.

He added he feels the station will be roughly in the same spot the old station was, beside the Maigue Bridge.

“Long term, if you build out a station, it probably is the nearest point to the golf course when you think about the walk.”

The Limerick to Foynes rail line was expected to only open up to freight traffic.

But with tourists coming to Adare from across the world, it has sharpened the focus to provide passenger services to the village.

“Moving a lot of people into major event is nothing new to us. We do it for major events, be it matches in Thurles, Limerick or indeed in the capital with the Aviva and Croke Park,” said Mr Meade.

In terms of how often trains will run, he admitted it will be infrequent until the service gains popularity.

But he said this will grow, pointing to work Irish Rail has done on the Cork commuter lines, whose frequency has ramped up.

“By the end of 2026, we will have infrastructure between Mallow, Cobh and Midleton which will allow us to put in a 10-minute service on that route if we want to,” he concluded.