Irish Rail has laid out its most ambitious plan in decades, outlining how the national rail network could be transformed into the backbone of a cleaner, more connected and more resilient Ireland. Speaking during Logistics and Supply Chain Skills Week 2026, senior leaders from Irish Rail offered a rare behind‑the‑scenes look at how the organisation operates today and how it plans to reshape transport out to 2050.
The webinar, titled Keeping Ireland Moving: Inside Irish Rail’s Operations and Future Vision, was led by Michael Power, Head of Transformation at Irish Rail, alongside Li Qian, Deputy Chief Procurement Officer. Together, they connected day‑to‑day operations with long‑term strategy, highlighting how infrastructure, freight, sustainability and skills must evolve together.
A Snapshot of Irish Rail Today
Irish Rail currently operates more than 5,000 passenger services every week, carrying over one million passengers across a network of 147 stations. Its fleet comprises 670 passenger carriages, with a further 265 units on order and already undergoing testing or construction. The organisation employs more than 5,300 staff nationwide, spanning frontline operations, engineering, planning, customer service and logistics.
Despite this scale, Ireland remains an outlier in Europe when it comes to rail usage. Rail accounts for only about 3% of passenger journeys nationally, compared with an average of 8% across European countries. The gap is even starker in freight, where rail carries less than 1% of goods, versus around 17% elsewhere in Europe. Electrification is another major difference: just 3% of Ireland’s rail network is electrified, compared with more than half of European networks.
According to Power, these figures underline both the challenge and the opportunity. “Rail in Ireland is functioning, but it’s underpowered,” he said. “Catching up with our European peers is not about copying models blindly, but about re‑establishing rail at the centre of our transport system.”
Rail 2050: A Long‑Term Vision
At the heart of Irish Rail’s future planning is Rail 2050, a strategy that envisions rail as the backbone of a sustainable transport system. The plan proposes a network that supports high‑density housing, seamless integration with public and active transport, faster journey times and significantly higher capacity for both passengers and freight.
Key targets include quadrupling annual passenger journeys to around 200 million by mid‑century and dramatically increasing rail freight volumes. Central to this is the DART+ programme, which will double commuter rail capacity in the Greater Dublin Area while expanding electrification across the network.
Beyond Dublin, Rail 2050 proposes strategic projects such as additional double‑ and four‑tracking near cities, improved intercity connections, and a future rail tunnel beneath Dublin to link services from west to east. These changes are designed not only to increase frequency and reliability, but also to build resilience into the network.
Reimagining Rail Freight
One of the most striking elements of the presentation was the renewed focus on rail freight. While just ten freight trains per week currently operate on the Irish network, Power reminded attendees that rail once played a critical role in moving construction materials, agri‑food products and manufactured goods nationwide.
Irish Rail’s Rail Freight 2040 strategy aims to reverse decades of decline. Recent progress includes new freight wagons, the first ordered in many years, the construction of an intermodal terminal in partnership with Dublin Port, and the reinstatement of the rail line to the Port of Foynes, expected to reopen later this year.
Looking ahead, the vision includes a network of strategically located intermodal terminals near major cities and ports, enabling smooth transfer between road and rail. A proposed all‑island freight corridor linking the west, south and east of Ireland is also under consideration, offering an alternative to an increasingly capacity‑constrained Dublin Port.
Sustainability Beyond Infrastructure
Li Qian highlighted how sustainability is now embedded in Irish Rail’s procurement and supply chain practices. Nearly 100% of tenders issued by Irish Rail now include sustainability criteria, covering environmental performance, social value and whole‑life cost considerations.
Innovations already in use include renewable fuels such as HVO oil, longer‑lasting synthetic rail sleepers, recycled fencing materials and a stronger focus on repair and refurbishment over replacement. Social value is also being built into contracts, with suppliers encouraged to provide apprenticeships, training and community initiatives as part of major projects like DART+.
One symbolic example shared during the session involved retired railway components being repurposed into trophies by prisoners nearing release, blending circular economy principles with social rehabilitation. “Sustainability isn’t abstract,” Qian noted. “It’s about finding new value in what already exists.”
Skills for the Railway of the Future
Both speakers emphasised that delivering Rail 2050 will depend on people as much as infrastructure. Irish Rail continues to recruit heavily, with growing demand for engineers, planners, data specialists, sustainability professionals, procurement experts and frontline staff.
For graduates and career‑changers, the message was clear: rail offers long‑term, meaningful careers that shape how Ireland grows. Problem‑solving, collaboration, adaptability and communication were highlighted as essential skills in an industry undergoing rapid transformation.
From Vision to Reality
Implementing Rail 2050 will require sustained investment, estimated at €35 billion over three decades, and strong public and political support. Power acknowledged the scale of the challenge but framed it as an opportunity Ireland has seized before, notably during the construction of the national motorway network.
“The strategy is written,” he said in closing. “Now it’s about implementation, working together, holding ourselves to account, and ensuring rail plays the role it should in a sustainable, confident Ireland.”
As pressures from housing, congestion and climate intensify, Irish Rail’s message was clear: the future of Ireland’s mobility is being planned now, and rail is firmly back on track.
You can download a copy of Michael Power's presentation .by clicking here...
You can download a copy of Li Qian's presentation by clicking the following link: Qian's Slides European Supply Chain 2026