Bank holiday travel disruption expected with rail works impacting trains

Irish Rail warns services to Cork, Limerick, Kerry and Belfast will be affected

Revellers attending Cork Jazz festival could face disruption. Photograph: Eric Luke / The Irish Times
Revellers attending Cork Jazz festival could face disruption. Photograph: Eric Luke / The Irish Times

Bank holiday travel will be disrupted this weekend with Irish Rail warning passengers that several train services will not be running over the weekend, due to major maintenance works on the track.

Services between Dublin and Cork, Limerick and Kerry, as well as Dublin and Belfast, will be affected by the disruptions. Cork Jazz festival, which is underway and will continue until Sunday, is among the events that could be impacted by transport issues.

In many cases Irish Rail has said trains will not be running over the weekend and replacement bus services would be in place.

The works will mean there will be no commuter service between Dublin and Drogheda, Dundalk, or Belfast.

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Irish Rail has said a limited replacement bus service will run between Dublin Connolly and Drogheda, which will stop in Donabate and Balbriggan. There will also be a bus service operating between Dublin and Belfast.

The Dart will not be running between Howth Junction and both Malahide and Howth, due to the need to carry out works on the tracks and overhead lines.

The disruptions affecting the Dart and the northern train services will be in place on Saturday, Sunday and the Bank Holiday Monday.

Major works will also see bus transfer services in places for parts of journeys between Dublin and Cork, Kerry and Limerick.

Irish Rail has said works on the tracks will see the train line between Portarlington and Thurles close from 2.30pm on Saturday until 10.30am on Monday.

For the route between Cork and Dublin there will be a bus transfer in place between Thurles and Kildare. The disruptions of the rail services between Cork and Dublin fall on the weekend the Cork Jazz Festival is due to take place in the city.

Direct services between Limerick and Dublin Heuston have been cancelled. “Journeys between Limerick and Dublin Heuston, involving a change at Limerick Junction, will have bus transfers between Thurles and Kildare, in both directions,” Irish Rail has said.

The 5.05pm train from Heuston station to Tralee on Saturday will only run between Mallow and Tralee, with Irish Rail informing passengers to use the Heuston to Cork train to connect at Mallow.

The 8.30am Heuston to Tralee train on Sunday will operate with bus transfers between Thurles and Kildare.

Commuter train services between Portlaoise and Heuston station in Dublin will involve bus transfers between Portlaoise and Portarlington in both directions.

Jack Power

Jack Power

Jack Power is acting Europe Correspondent of The Irish Times