A plan to transform the rail system on the island of Ireland through electrification, additional track capacity, increased speeds and more frequent services has been published.
The final report from the All-Island Strategic Rail Review sets out a vision up to 2050 and was jointly commissioned by authorities north and south.
The cost of implementing the 32 recommendations in the review by 2050 is estimated to be between €35-37 billion.
Among them is a plan to increase the rail network across the island from 2,300km to almost 3,000km, with the opening of new lines and the reopening of former rail lines.
If all the recommendations were delivered, an additional 700,000 people would live within 5km of a train station.
New routes in the review would bring trains to the north midlands from Mullingar to Cavan, Monaghan, Armagh and Portadown, and also to the northwest from Portadown to Dungannon, Omagh, Strabane, Derry and Letterkenny.
The Western Rail Corridor between Claremorris and Athenry, and the South Wexford Railway connecting Wexford to Waterford would also be reinstated.
The vision also includes plans to connect Dublin, Belfast and Shannon airports with the rail network, and upgrade much of the single-track network to double tracks.
New 200km per hour intercity trains would see journey times reduced, and in some cases halved.
There would also be more frequent services, with hourly trains between cities recommended, while for regional and rural routes services at least every two hours are recommended.
The review provides for decarbonisation, with the provision of a net carbon zero system through overhead electrification of intercity routes and new electric trains.
The final report was published by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and Northern Ireland's Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd in Dundalk.
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Minister Ryan said it was an "important day for the island of Ireland" and the "most ambitious vision for rail in a century, bringing us forward to a new age of rail".
"Rail not only allows us to carry more people and freight in a more sustainable way, it is the great connector, enabling greater regional accessibility and balanced regional development", he said.
"I'm pleased that work is now well under way with the European Investment Bank's assistance as to how we can move forward," said Mr Ryan.
He said the most important part of the review was about better balanced regional development.
The Portadown to Letterkenny line was "one of the most inspiring" parts of the strategic review, he said, and "would transform that part of the country".
The minister said it would cost several billion euro to build that particular project.
Plans 'doable' with right political decisions
When asked if he could say whether any of the projects would definitely happen, Mr Ryan pointed to investment that is ongoing in the rail network around the country.
"It's happening all over the place, we are investing. The question is, 'what next?' We know we need €1.5 billion a year. It's not small money, but that's what we're going to put to Government," he said.
The money would come from the exchequer, he said and he believes that implementing the recommendations is "doable" but would be down to political decisions.
"It will be a decision for the next government more than this and I say to every political party now, show us your colours, tell us what you intend. Do you intend to invest in public transport or do you intend scrapping? Which one would you scrap?"
Mr O'Dowd said the review was "historic" and an "evidence-based framework to guide future investment in our rail network".
"We have the arguments on our side now, we have the analysis, the strategy and policy work done, it's down to political decisions".
He said that a separate plan to increase the frequency of the Dublin to Belfast Enterprise train to every hour was on schedule to be in place by October and would provide a large economic boost.
Iarnród Éireann CEO Jim Meade said the organisation had been a "central player in bringing this vision to fruition" and that in the short-term, some projects have already started.
"We have new trains arriving late this year that will go into service after we do the commissioning process, so that's happening.
"We have started work in Cork and Limerick so pieces of the puzzle are already in play."
The publication follows a draft report released last year and a public consultation.
The report's recommendations are in addition to other projects like the DART+, which are progressing under the National Development Plan 2021-2030.
It is envisaged that this review will inform decisions on rail investment in both jurisdictions up to 2050, as well as the Department of Transport's engagement on the next update to the National Development Plan.
