Upgrades for Tullamore and Clara railway stations may be on the cards

Both Tullamore and Clara railway stations could be in line for significant service upgrades over the coming years.

Irish Rail is seeking tenders for a multi-disciplinary consultant with a view to improving the Galway rail line which serves Tullamore and Clara.

The requirements include upgrades to existing stations at locations along the line.

According to draft proposals, at the end of August, there will be 17 weekday trains from Tullamore to Heuston Station and in the opposite direction, there will be 15 to Athlone with 12 of those going all the way to Galway Ceannt Station.

Trains will leave Tullamore for Dublin starting at 05:45 with the last train at 22:33 (an average of one train every hour).

In the opposite direction, there will be trains to Athlone (with most going on to Galway Ceannt) starting at 06:49 with the last train leaving Tullamore at 21:31.

The appointed consultant will be expected to examine capacity enhancement schemes such as double-tracking and passing loops.

It has long been touted that the line from Portarlington should be restored to double-track as it was in the past. If this were to happen it could mean a second platform for Clara Railway Station.

At the moment, Clara’s single platform is proving to be a severe bottleneck. On weekdays, there are 12 trains from Clara to Dublin 5 fewer than Tullamore's 17. In the opposite direction, it has 3 fewer services to Athlone than Tullamore.

Its single platform means it is impacting Tullamore services with the 18:30 Dublin Heuston to Galway Ceannt service not stopping in Tullamore, costing the Offaly capital an additional evening service.

Traction will also be considered with Overhead Line Electrification one of the options that will be looked at - this was also preferred in the All-Ireland Strategic Rail Review Draft that was published last year. Electrification of the railway line will mean shorter journey times as electric trains can get up to speed at least a minute faster than their diesel counterparts. Electrification would mean at least a 1 minute saving per station.

It’s also likely that the consultant will be expected to look at the feasibility of running longer trains. If longer trains with more carriages are introduced it will result in the lengthening of platforms.

The multi-disciplinary consultant contract is for 4 years with the possibility of extending it for a further 4 years. It will cover virtually all aspects, from the design and planning, to the construction and hand-over to Irish Rail.