Iarnród Éireann and transportation services provider XPO Logistics have teamed up to launch a new direct rail freight service between Ballina, Co Mayo, and the Port of Waterford.
The new service comes just months after a freight line that ran cargo directly from Dublin Port to Ballina for business that include Coca-Cola, was suspended because the port was so clogged up following Brexit.
The new service commenced weekly operations on Wednesday with plans to expand to twice-weekly within eight weeks.
It has provision for 5,000 truck movements a year, which would result in less road congestion, and a 75 per cent reduction in emissions per unit, according to the companies.
"These trains, carrying container freight, will work very effectively with the port's Lo-Lo shipping services to provide businesses in Ireland's west/northwest with a compelling logistics solution to and from mainland Europe, " said Port of Waterford chief executive Frank Ronan.
The Dublin to Ballina service, which was suspended in June ran almost 10,000 goods containers that were loaded off ferries directly onto trains to bring them to the west last year.
