Limerick to Ennis rail service is back on track following flooding

RAIL services between Colbert Station in Limerick and Ennis are set to resume this Wednesday morning after flooding in January forced the closure of the line.

The railway track at Ballycar Lough has flooded on a number of occasions in recent years resulting in several temporary closure – some as long as 20 weeks.

A test train will operate on the line this Tuesday with a full service due to resume in the morning.

Iarnród Eireann says flood waters rose to around 1.6m above the railway track during some of the recent flood events, despite works being carried out in 2003 which saw the track level being raised by 60 centimetres.

In addition to causing disruption to rail services between Limerick and Ennis the flood events also impacted on local roads and restricted access to some farming lands.

Public water supplies in Newmarket-on-Fergus were also affected.

”The causes of flooding at Ballycar Lough are mainly the prolonged sustained rainfall in Ballycar Lough catchment and the slow outflow stream of Ballycar Lough located between the swallow hole and the spring,” said a spokesperson for Iarnród Eireann.

The resumption of rail services between Limerick and Ennis is a welcome development for those who have been traveling by bus or by car over the past two months.