Ireland Railway Information
Trains in Ireland are operated by Irish rail (Iompair Éireann)who provide a modern, comfortable and frequent rail service to most parts of Ireland.
Your InterRail pass is also valid on the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport), a suburban railway network in the Dublin area operated by Irish Rail. You have to show your pass at the ticket window to get access through the entrance gates.
The website of the Irish railway company: Irish Rail offer a journey planner, printable timetables and a rail network map.
Most trains in Ireland operate to and from Dublin. There are 2 main stations in Dublin: Connolly Station and Heuston Station. There are no trains connecting these stations, so you have to take a tram or bus to go from Connolly to Heuston.
Train Service:
InerCity trains: InterCity routes in Ireland, that also stop at smaller stations are:
- Cork – Tralee
- Cork – Limerick
- Limerick – Rosslare Europort
'Railcar' trains: Smaller towns are connected by local trains which are know as "Railcar", that only have 2nd class compartments.
- Routes where these trains run are:
- Mallow – TraleeCork – Cobe
- Limmerick Junction – Limmerick – Ennis Dublin – Dundalk and Dublin – Rosslare
long-distance connections: Important long distance connections from Dublin are
From Dublin Heuston – Cork,
- Dublin Heuston - Tralee
- Dublin Heuston- Limerick
- Dublin Heuston-Galway
- Dublin Heuston-Westport
- Dublin Heuston-Ballina
- Dublin Heuston-Waterford
- Dublin Connolly – Sligo
- Dublin Connolly-Wexford
- Dublin Connolly Rosslare Europort
- Dublin ConnollyBelfast
'Enterprise' high-speed train: This train is jointly operated by Iarnród Éireanna and NI Railways. It runs 8 times a day between Dublin Connolly and Belfast (Northern Ireland) in a jounrye time of just over 2 hours.
International train connections:
Ferry connections: Your InterRail Global Pass or InterRail Ireland Pass entitles you to discounted ferry crossings from Irish Ferries, Norfolkline and Stena Line to France and the UK. See the page Pass Benefits Ireland.
Facilities and services on trains:
Bikes on trains
You will able to take your bike on most trains in Ireland but it is highly recommended that you reserve a psace for your bike before you travel.
Trains do not always have a dedicated space for bikes; you can leave it in the vestibule area or consult the ticket inspector for assistance regarding the storage of your bike.