Consultants have been appointed to oversee the construction of eight new commuter rail stations to the northwest and east of Cork city.
Contracts have also been awarded by Iarnród Éireann for the appointment of consultants for the electrification of the Cork commuter rail network and for the provision of a new maintenance depot for an electrified fleet of up to 150 carriages.
At a media event in Cork this morning, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and Iarnród Éireann Chief Executive Jim Meade said contracts have been awarded to consultants TYPSA and Roughan O'Donovan to oversee the work.
The work will involve the construction of six new commuter rail stations at Monard, Blackpool, Tivoli, Carrigtwohill West, Waterrock and Ballynoe, and the construction of two park-and-ride commuter rail stations at Blarney and Dunkettle.
Iarnród Éireann said it anticipates the work will be completed by 2030, subject to the granting of planning permission and the allocation of funding.
The work will facilitate 10-minute frequency on Cork commuter trains on the Mallow-Cork, Midleton-Cork and Cobh-Cork lines.
Services on these lines currently operate on a 30-minute frequency.
The projects are funded by the National Transport Authority under Project Ireland 2040.
Plans for the electrification of the commuter rail fleet in Cork comprise 150 vehicles, consisting of 30 five-car train sets.
A location for the new maintenance depot to service and store the fleet has not yet been selected.
The work is in addition to three separate projects currently under way on the rail network in Cork, representing an investment of almost €300 million.
The first project consists of the provision of a new "through" platform at Kent Station in Cork, to facilitate through running of commuter services to and from Mallow, Midleton and Cobh.
This will allow for increased frequency and capacity on these routes.
This project represents an investment of €23 million. A contract for the construction work was awarded in March. Iarnród Éireann says work is on target to be completed by the end of the year.
The second project involves an investment of €180 million in a signalling and communications upgrade to cater for the frequency and capacity increases in the Cork commuter network.
Civil works associated with this project started in February. Iarnród Éireann said it expects this work to be completed by 2026.
The third project consists of upgrading the Glounthaune to Midleton line to create a twin track.
Iarnród Éireann said it expects a contract for this work to be awarded next month, and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The value of the contract is around €90m.
"We are seeing record demand across our Cork commuter rail network, and we look forward to working with our consultants, and the NTA, EURRF and Department of Transport to deliver a network that will facilitate millions more sustainable journeys for the people of Cork and those visiting every year," Mr Meade said.
Minister Ryan said the projects, when completed, would transform transport in Cork.
"The Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme represents the largest investment in the rail network in Cork undertaken by the State," he said. "It will completely transform transport in and around the city, increasing train capacity and frequency, and connecting communities from Cobh to Midleton to Mallow along a sustainable and reliable rail spine."
Iarnód Éireann said the projects are central to the National Transport Authority's Cork Metropolitan Area Transportation Strategy (CMATS).
