*Photograph: Firestone
PLATFORM extensions at Ennis and Sixmilebridge railway stations are expected to be completed by the end of 2027, under plans to increase passenger capacity on the Limerick to Galway rail route.
Iarnród Éireann has issued tender documents for construction works at five stations along the Limerick to Athenry railway line, including Ennis and Sixmilebridge.
The project will see platforms at Sixmilebridge, Gort, Ardrahan and Craughwell extended by 55 metres to accommodate six-car Intercity services.
At Ennis railway station, platform two will receive a 12-metre extension.
The works are intended to support longer trains and increase the number of passengers that can be carried between Limerick and Galway.
Track enabling works are already underway, with the main construction contract expected to be awarded before the end of 2026.
Main construction works are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027 and be completed in the final quarter of that year, with the extended platforms expected to enter service by the end of 2027.
Iarnród Éireann Chief Executive Mary Considine said the project would provide the infrastructure needed to support longer services and increased capacity between Limerick and Athenry.
She said the accelerated delivery of infrastructure improvements would help provide a more sustainable transport option to communities along the route.
The platform extensions, alongside the allocation of additional rolling stock as new DART+ fleet enters service in the Greater Dublin Area, are expected to allow for a significant increase in capacity between Galway, Ennis and Limerick.
The construction contract will also be the first for Iarnród Éireann to incorporate the CO₂ Performance Ladder, a carbon management and procurement tool which encourages suppliers to measure emissions, set reduction targets and demonstrate progress.
