Iarnród Éireann has announced that a record 46.3 million passenger journeys will be completed on the rail network this year.
The company, which was criticised for cancelling a number of trains on its Cork and Mayo lines in the days before Christmas, said its growth was directly attributable to the State's railway investment programme.
According to figures from Iarnród Éireann, 46.3 million passenger journeys are set to be recorded on Intercity, Dart and commuter services by close of business on December 31st - up 7 per cent on the previous record of 43.3 million journeys in 2006.
The company said the figures confirmed Iarnród Éireann's status as one of the fastest-growing rail services in Europe.
According to the company, several factors contributed to the rise in journeys: the introduction of a new fleet and hourly services on the Cork-Dublin route, which increased numbers by 14 per cent; additional frequency on other Intercity routes, and the opening of Dublin's Docklands station, which increased capacity and choice on services from commuter areas such as Clonsilla, Coolmine and Castleknock.
Iarnród Éireann said it expected passenger numbers to grow further as more new trains were added and infrastructure, such as the four-track Kildare route project and western rail corridor, started to come on stream. New Dublin stations would open at the Phoenix Park and in Clongriffin in 2008.
In addition, Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey has approved the reopening of services on the Cork to Midleton line, and work on the track is scheduled to begin in February.
However, the company admitted it was not a good Christmas for passengers on the Cork and Mayo routes, where a number of services in each direction were cancelled on Christmas Eve. A company spokesman said the cancellations had taken place as a result of industrial action taken after the introduction of new timetables in December.
The cancellation of a Dublin to Cork train on Christmas Eve was due to staff refusing to replace a driver who had called in sick, the spokesman added.
