*Ennis Train Station.
IRISH RAIL’s income from parking charges from its train station in Ennis tops €200,000 over the past three years.
New figures provided by the CEO of Irish Rail, Mary Considine show that the train station car park at Ennis last year raised €85,754 in car-parking charges in 2025 and this was a 29.5 percent increase on the €66,209 raised in 2024.
In 2026, the car park at Ennis has raised €50,840 by September 6th.
The €85,754 in fees generated by Ennis last year compares to Limerick City’s station, Colbert Station generating €442,093 in 2025 while Limerick Junction’s carpark raised €152,661.
Overall last year, revenues raised by Irish Rail’s network of carparks serving train stations across the country last year increased by 9 percent to €7.9m.
The figures show that one station alone, Kent Station in Cork City, generated over €1.05m in car-parking fees in 2025. The €1.05m generated by Kent Station was down marginally on the €1.07m the station raised in parking fees in 2024 when it was again Irish Rail’s most lucrative car-park charging operation.
The fees generated at Kent Station last year are well ahead of the car-park fees generated at Irish Rail’s busiest train station at Heuston in Dublin where fees of €747,241 were raised.
In information provided arising from a written Dáil question by Kildare North TD, Aidan Farrelly (SD), the figures provided by Ms Considine show that the car-parking operations at commuter stations around Dublin performed strongly.
They show that the car park operation at Sallins generated €295,362 in fees, Newbridge (€266,08), Rush & Lusk (€250,556) and Maynooth (€145,389).
One of the other top performers was Mallow train station where car parking revenues last year totalled €269,656.
The figures also show that the car-park operation at Thurles generated €188,126 while Waterford train stations’ car-park raised €128,850.
The information provided by former CEO of the Shannon Airport Group. Ms Considine show that to September 6th this year, Irish Rail has raised €5.96m with Kent train station again the best performer raising 694,967 and Heuston raising €561,045.
Head of Corporate Communications at Irish Rail, Barry Kenny said that the fees generated from train station car parks “is important revenue, and assists in both general income and in car park maintenance”.
Mr Kenny said that the car-parking charges “are very competitive, and are structured to provide significant discounts to regular commuters, with €30 per month the standard monthly car parking fee at most stations that has remained unchanged since 2008.
Mr Kenny explained that Irish Rail engages a provider, currently APCOA. to manage their station car parks. He said, “We own the car parks, so it is a facilities management contract, which includes enforcement”.
He said that “Iarnród Éireann receives the vast majority of parking fees and revenue from our car parks, and APCOA is paid a fixed set management fees as established as part of the tender / procurement process”.
Deputy Farrelly said on Tuesday that the figures provided “while varying significantly in amounts represent an overall revenue that is sizeable and relatively stable”.
He said that he would like to see the car parking fee income “to be invested into those facilities to provide for a more diverse use of the spaces, bike cover and secure storage, e-charging points and so on.
He said, “We have to make public transport as convenient and attractive as possible for users of it and encourage others to also consider it over private vehicles”.
