Transport in Ireland
Most of the transport system in Ireland is in public hands, either side of the Irish border. The Irish road network has evolved separately in the two jurisdictions into which Ireland is divided, while the Irish rail network was mostly created prior to the partition of Ireland.
In the
On 1 November 2005, the Irish government published the
The Republic of Ireland's transport sector is responsible for 21% of the state's greenhouse gas emissions.[1]
In Northern Ireland, the road network and railways are in state ownership. The Department for Infrastructure is responsible for these and other areas (such as water services). Two of the three main airports in Northern Ireland are privately operated and owned. The exception is City of Derry Airport, which is owned and funded by Derry City Council. A statutory corporation, the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which trades as Translink) operates public transport services through its three subsidiaries – NI Railways Company Limited, Ulsterbus Limited, and Citybus Limited (now branded as Metro).
Railways
- Total
- 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gauge
- 1,947 km (1,210 mi) (1998); 38 km (24 mi) electrified; 485 km (301 mi) double track; some additions and removals since 1997
- 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
- 36.5 km (22.7 mi) (2004) (Luas tramway); 36.5 km (22.7 mi) electrified; 36.5 km (22.7 mi) double track; additional track under construction
- 914 mm (3 ft) narrow gauge
- 1,365 km (848 mi) (2006) (industrial railway operated by Bord na Móna)
Ireland's
The rail network in Ireland was developed by various private companies during the 19th century, with some receiving government funding. The network reached its greatest extent by 1920. A
Many lines in the west were decommissioned in the 1930s under
Public transport services in Northern Ireland are sparse in comparison with those of the rest of Ireland or Great Britain. A large railway network was severely curtailed in the 1950s and 1960s.
Since 1984 an electrified train service run by Iarnród Éireann has linked Dublin with its coastal suburbs. Running initially between
Ireland has one of the largest dedicated
Road transport
Roads and cars in Ireland
- Total – 117,318 km (72,898 mi)
- South: 92,500 km (57,500 mi) including 1,015 km (631 mi) of motorway (2010)
- North: 24,818 km (15,421 mi) including 148 km (92 mi) of motorway (2008)
- paved – 87,043 km (54,086 mi), unpaved – 5,457 km (3,391 mi)
Ireland's roads link Dublin with all the major cities (Belfast, Cork, Limerick, Derry, Galway, and Waterford). Driving is on the left. Signposts in the Republic of Ireland are shown in kilometres and speed limits in kilometres per hour. Distance and speed limit signs in Northern Ireland use imperial units in common with the rest of the United Kingdom.
Historically, land owners developed most roads and later turnpike trusts collected tolls so that as early as 1800 Ireland had a 16,100 kilometres (10,000 mi) road network.[7] In 2005 the Irish Government launched Transport 21, a plan envisaging the investment of €34 billion in transport infrastructure from 2006 until 2015.[8] Several road projects were progressed but the economic crisis that began in 2008–09 has prevented its full implementation.
Between 2011 and 2015, diesel cars constituted 70% of new cars.[9] In 2015, 27 new cars per 1,000 inhabitants were registered in Ireland, the same as the EU average.[10]
Bus services
Ireland's first
State-owned Bus Éireann (Irish Bus) currently provides most bus services in the Republic of Ireland, outside Dublin, including an express coach network connecting most cities in Ireland, along with local bus services in the provincial cities. Dublin Bus, a sister company of Bus Éireann, provides most of the bus services in Dublin, with some other operators providing a number of routes. These include Aircoach, a subsidiary of FirstGroup which provides services to Dublin Airport from Dublin city centre, South Dublin City, Greystones and Bray. They also operate two intercity express non-stop services service between Dublin Airport, Dublin City Centre, and Cork and also a non-stop route between Belfast City Centre, Dublin Airport and Dublin City. Other operators such as Irish Citylink and GoBus.ie compete on the Dublin-Galway route. Matthews Coaches run a direct service from Bettystown, Laytown and Julianstown to Dublin whilst Dublin Coach operate services to Portlaoise and Limerick. JJ Kavanagh and Sons also operates regular services on the Portlaoise/Limerick route as well as offering services to Waterford, Carlow, Kilkenny, Clonmel and a selection of regional towns and villages in the south.
TFI Local Link is a set of not-for-profit operators, funded via the National Transport Authority, that provide bus services in rural Ireland. Other private rural operators exist, such as Halpenny's in Blackrock, County Louth, which was the first private bus operator to run a public service in Ireland, Bus Feda (Feda O'Donnell Coaches), which operates twice daily routes from Ranafast, County Donegal to Galway and back.[13]
In Northern Ireland Ulsterbus provides the bus network, with its sister company Metro providing services in Belfast. Both are part of state-owned Translink. Tiger Coaches operates a very late night bus service on Friday and Saturday nights between Belfast and Lisburn.[14]
Private hire companies offer groups travelling throughout Ireland with options ranging from cars to 56 passenger coaches. Private Coach Hire Companies can be found at CTTC.ie.
Cross-border services (e.g. Dublin city centre to Belfast) are run primarily by a partnership of Ulsterbus and Bus Éireann with some services run across the border exclusively by one of the two companies (e.g. Derry–Sligo run by Bus Éireann). Aircoach, a private operator, does however operate a competing Dublin to Belfast Express service via Dublin Airport.
According to an Irish Times article in September 2022, 14.3% of national journeys in the Republic of Ireland were undertaken by bus, compared to the European average of 8.8%. However, this may be partly due to the lack of widespread train coverage in the country, as Ireland's figure of 3.1% usage of trains for journeys is well behind the European average of 7.9%.[15]
Mode of travel[16] | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
---|---|---|---|
Private car – driver | 70.4% | 69.0% | 69.1% |
Private car – passenger | 6.1% | 5.8% | 5.3% |
Walk | 13.6% | 15.4% | 14.8% |
Bus | 3.9% | 3.8% | 4.4% |
Cycle | 1.2% | 1.3% | 1.6% |
Rail / DART / Luas | 1.3% | 1.5% | 1.4% |
Taxi / hackney | 0.8% | 0.9% | 0.9% |
Lorry / motorcycle / other | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2.5% |
Waterways
- Total (2004) – 753 km (468 mi)
- (pleasure craft only on inland waterways, several lengthy estuarinewaterways)
- Grand Canal (Ireland)
- Royal Canal
- Shannon–Erne Waterway
- River Barrow
- River Shannon
- Lower Bann
- Newry Ship Canal
Pipelines
Natural gas transmission network 1,795 km (1,115 mi) (2003). There is a much more extensive distribution network.
Ports and harbours
Ireland has major ports in
Ports in the Republic of Ireland handled 2.8 million travellers crossing the sea between Ireland and Great Britain in 2014, a decrease of 1 million passengers movements since 2003.[17] This has been steadily dropping for a number of years (20% since 1999), probably as a result of low cost airlines.
Ferries
Ferry connections between
In addition, there are ferries from Rosslare and Dublin to Cherbourg and Roscoff in France.
The vast majority of heavy goods trade is done by sea. Northern Irish ports handle 10 megatonnes (Mt) of goods trade with Britain annually, while ports in the south handle 7.6 Mt, representing 50% and 40% respectively of total trade by weight.
Name | From | To | Operator | Website | Seasonal? | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scenic Lough Foyle Ferry | Greencastle, County Donegal | Magilligan Point , County Londonderry
|
Frazer Foyle Holdings | loughfoyleferry.com | Summer only | Passenger (foot, vehicle) |
Kintyre Express | Ballycastle | Port Ellen, Scotland | Craig of Campbeltown | kintyreexpress.com | Summer only | Passenger (foot only) |
Rathlin Island Ferry | Ballycastle | Rathlin Island | Dunaverty | www.rathlin-ferry.com | All year | Passenger (foot, vehicle) |
Kintyre Express | Ballycastle | Campbeltown, Scotland | Craig of Campbeltown | kintyreexpress.com | Summer only | Passenger (foot only) |
P&O Larne - Cairnryan | Larne | Cairnryan, Scotland | P&O | www.poferries.com | All year | Passenger (foot, vehicle); Freight |
Stena Belfast - Cairnryan | Belfast | Cairnryan, Scotland | Stena Line | www.stenaline.co.uk | All year | Passenger (foot, vehicle); Freight |
Isle of Man Steam Packet | Belfast | Douglas, Isle of Man | Isle of Man Steam Packet Company | www.steam-packet.com | All year | Passenger (foot, vehicle) |
Stena Belfast - Heysham | Belfast | Heysham, England | Stena Line | www.stenaline.com | All year | Freight |
Stena Belfast - Liverpool | Belfast | Liverpool, England | Stena Line | www.stenaline.co.uk | All year | Passenger (foot, vehicle); Freight |
Strangford Ferry | Strangford | Portaferry | Dept for Infrastructure NI | www.nidirect.gov.uk | All year | Passenger (vehicle, foot) |
Omeath Ferry | Warrenpoint, | Omeath, County Louth | Summer only | Passenger (foot) | ||
Carlingford Lough Ferry | Greencastle, County Down | Greenore, County Louth | Rooskey Frazer & Co | carlingfordferry.com | All year | Passenger (vehicle, foot) |
Seatruck | Warrenpoint | Heysham | Seatruck | www.seatruckferries.com/r | All year | Freight |
Mercantile Marine[note 1]
- Total – 35 ships (with a volume of 1,000 gross tonnage (GT) or over) totalling 288,401 GT/383,628 tonnes deadweight (DWT)
- Ships by type – bulk carrier 7, cargo ship 22, chemical tanker 1, container ship 3, roll-on/roll-off ship 1, short-sea passenger 1
- Foreign-owned – Germany 3, Italy 7, Norway 2
- Registered in other countries – 18 (2003 est.)
Aviation
Ireland has four main international airports:
There are also several smaller regional airports:
Ireland's national airline, Aer Lingus, provides services from Belfast City, Cork, Dublin and Shannon to Europe, North Africa and North America. Dublin and Cork airports are run by a State body, DAA (Dublin Airport Authority). Other Irish airlines are Ryanair, one of the largest in the world, CityJet, ASL Airlines Ireland and the Aer Lingus subsidiary Aer Lingus Regional. A number of other operators specialise in general aviation.
Airport passenger numbers
For 2018 the passenger numbers were as follows:[25][26]
Rank | Airport | Runways | Max Length | Passengers | Change 2015–2016 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dublin | 2 | 2,637 m (8,652 ft) | 31,319,419 | 6.3% |
2 | Belfast International | 2 | 2,780 m (9,120 ft) | 6,268,960 | 7.4% |
3 | Belfast City | 1 | 1,829 m (6,001 ft) | 2,511,261 | 1.9% |
4 | Cork | 2 | 2,133 m (6,998 ft) | 2,387,806 | 3.8% |
5 | Shannon | 1 | 3,199 m (10,495 ft) | 1,677,611 | 4.9% |
6 | Ireland West Airport | 1 | 2,340 m (7,680 ft) | 775,063 | 3.5% |
7 | Kerry | 1 | 2,000 m (6,600 ft) | 365,339 | 8.9% |
8 | City of Derry | 1 | 1,969 m (6,460 ft) | 185,843 | 4.2% |
9 | Donegal | 1 | 1,496 m (4,908 ft) | 46,537 | 0.0% |
10 | Connemara | 1 | 600 m (2,000 ft) | 15,322 | 6.8% |
11 | Inishmore | 1 | 490 m (1,610 ft) | 8,814 | 5.6% |
Gateway Irish Urban Reference Destination Distances
- Midlands Gateway Urban Destination Distances
- The distances given below are in kilometres as travelling through the Midlands Gateway ATM (Athlone-Tullamore-Mullingar).
- Where it is logical to travel along the east or west coast directly, these distances are provided according to the popular route.
- Urban by-passes, Rockades, Diversions, Detours and all other dispositives prolonging the travelled distances between destinations are equated to ZERO.
- This is an estimation distance guide only.
City / Town | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 |
Athboy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
80 | Athlone | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
188 | 241 | Ballymena | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
144 | 221 | 46 | Belfast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
100 | 128 | 298 | 285 | Castlebar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
60 | 80 | 152 | 136 | 168 | Cavan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
232 | 255 | 44 | 91 | 269 | 180 | Coleraine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
368 | 217 | 467 | 424 | 274 | 300 | 491 | Cork | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
220 | 234 | 89 | 114 | 221 | 163 | 50 | 478 | Derry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
40 | 142 | 163 | 120 | 230 | 88 | 187 | 309 | 188 | Drogheda | |||||||||||||||||||||||
80 | 124 | 211 | 168 | 235 | 108 | 235 | 259 | 236 | 53 | M-50 Dublin | ||||||||||||||||||||||
72 | 160 | 127 | 84 | 248 | 80 | 152 | 341 | 165 | 37 | 85 | Dundalk | |||||||||||||||||||||
248 | 219 | 418 | 375 | 301 | 274 | 443 | 78 | 430 | 260 | 211 | 211 | Dungarvan | ||||||||||||||||||||
60 | 40 | 222 | 176 | 130 | 40 | 200 | 297 | 193 | 90 | 80 | 120 | 251 | Edgeworthst. | |||||||||||||||||||
184 | 108 | 453 | 407 | 173 | 213 | 387 | 140 | 408 | 296 | 243 | 324 | 160 | 148 | Ennis | ||||||||||||||||||
120 | 126 | 434 | 168 | 160 | 46 | 157 | 363 | 107 | 137 | 154 | 100 | 337 | 86 | 234 | Enniskillen | |||||||||||||||||
128 | 96 | 354 | 341 | 92 | 160 | 326 | 201 | 276 | 268 | 219 | 249 | 227 | 136 | 80 | 190 | Galway | ||||||||||||||||
152 | 124 | 333 | 290 | 250 | 178 | 358 | 148 | 345 | 175 | 126 | 207 | 96 | 155 | 150 | 265 | 174 | Kilkenny | |||||||||||||||
160 | 230 | 515 | 472 | 290 | 319 | 539 | 87 | 476 | 357 | 308 | 389 | 165 | 296 | 155 | 382 | 215 | 195 | Killarney | ||||||||||||||
160 | 123 | 409 | 366 | 183 | 217 | 417 | 99 | 368 | 251 | 202 | 283 | 119 | 175 | 41 | 280 | 109 | 131 | 114 | Limerick | |||||||||||||
40 | 55 | 245 | 197 | 112 | 56 | 228 | 284 | 191 | 118 | 105 | 147 | 244 | 15 | 156 | 101 | 156 | 162 | 310 | 202 | Longford | ||||||||||||
32 | 48 | 215 | 169 | 154 | 59 | 232 | 242 | 221 | 75 | 65 | 85 | 216 | 35 | 155 | 121 | 144 | 120 | 261 | 159 | 42 | Mullingar | |||||||||||
60 | 116 | 244 | 201 | 227 | 130 | 269 | 223 | 256 | 86 | 37 | 118 | 175 | 107 | 206 | 193 | 205 | 89 | 272 | 165 | 114 | 72 | Naas | ||||||||||
100 | 80 | 368 | 325 | 174 | 169 | 332 | 134 | 307 | 210 | 161 | 242 | 151 | 146 | 84 | 232 | 100 | 93 | 149 | 43 | 153 | 111 | 124 | Nenagh | |||||||||
60 | 179 | 97 | 110 | 199 | 72 | 102 | 423 | 57 | 133 | 181 | 110 | 375 | 143 | 338 | 50 | 255 | 290 | 404 | 297 | 128 | 130 | 201 | 254 | Omagh | ||||||||
200 | 202 | 375 | 332 | 328 | 300 | 400 | 195 | 387 | 217 | 160 | 249 | 117 | 235 | 239 | 363 | 306 | 121 | 280 | 198 | 242 | 200 | 141 | 202 | 332 | Rosslare | |||||||
180 | 134 | 374 | 392 | 168 | 279 | 402 | 119 | 352 | 277 | 227 | 309 | 146 | 214 | 20 | 342 | 94 | 158 | 134 | 28 | 221 | 179 | 190 | 69 | 329 | 224 | Shannon | ||||||
160 | 117 | 215 | 202 | 84 | 121 | 187 | 323 | 137 | 201 | 207 | 200 | 334 | 96 | 255 | 75 | 175 | 228 | 338 | 231 | 81 | 123 | 199 | 195 | 114 | 358 | 216 | Sligo | |||||
260 | 215 | 509 | 466 | 249 | 312 | 483 | 118 | 434 | 351 | 302 | 383 | 195 | 289 | 148 | 375 | 175 | 228 | 33 | 107 | 296 | 254 | 265 | 143 | 398 | 295 | 128 | 297 | Tralee | ||||
60 | 43 | 256 | 213 | 169 | 93 | 281 | 207 | 256 | 149 | 101 | 130 | 181 | 80 | 165 | 156 | 138 | 85 | 226 | 124 | 77 | 35 | 89 | 76 | 204 | 164 | 144 | 158 | 219 | Tullamore | |||
160 | 174 | 373 | 330 | 310 | 228 | 397 | 123 | 385 | 215 | 166 | 247 | 46 | 205 | 170 | 291 | 236 | 51 | 208 | 129 | 212 | 170 | 129 | 160 | 329 | 73 | 155 | 289 | 226 | 135 | Waterford | ||
180 | 189 | 350 | 307 | 315 | 244 | 374 | 184 | 362 | 112 | 134 | 224 | 107 | 263 | 228 | 307 | 295 | 110 | 269 | 187 | 228 | 186 | 129 | 189 | 307 | 19 | 214 | 333 | 285 | 151 | 63 | Wexford | |
120 | 170 | 270 | 227 | 280 | 204 | 295 | 254 | 282 | 112 | 55 | 144 | 176 | 181 | 281 | 146 | 265 | 132 | 346 | 240 | 188 | 146 | 75 | 199 | 227 | 109 | 265 | 253 | 340 | 146 | 133 | 84 | Wicklow |
See also
- Plug-in electric vehicles in the Republic of Ireland
- Public transport in Ireland
- State-sponsored bodies of Ireland
- List of Ireland-related topics
Footnotes
- ^ In Ireland it is the "Mercantile Marine"; in the United Kingdom it is the "Merchant Navy"; in the USA it is the "Merchant Marine".
References
- ^ "What are Irelands greenhouse gas emissions ?". EPA. Archived from the original on 17 December 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
- ^ a b "CIA World Factbook—Ireland—Transportation". CIA. 6 November 2008. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
- ^ "Heavy Rail". Project. Transport 21. 18 June 2008. Archived from the original on 7 December 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
- ^ "The Irish Railway System". The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland. Archived from the original on 21 August 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
- ^ "Northern Ireland Railways Timetables". Translink. Archived from the original on 12 August 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
- ^ "Description of Railway". Bord na Móna. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
- Córas Iompair Éireann. Archived from the originalon 10 April 2004. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
- ^ "Roads". Projects. Transport 21. 18 June 2008. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
- ^ "Share of Diesel in New Passenger Cars – Click Ireland". European Automobile Manufacturers Association. 25 April 2016. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
- ^ "Per Capita Registrations". European Automobile Manufacturers Association. 1 June 2016. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
- ^ Parliamentary papers, Reports from Committees, Volume 20. London: House of Commons. 1837. pp. 3, 38–43. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ Murphy, John (4 January 2005). "Bianconi home to become Clonmel hotel". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
- ^ "Hosting Ireland's – Holding Page – Your Domain Has Been Successfully Registered!". www.fedaodonnell.com. Archived from the original on 30 May 2008. Retrieved 30 May 2008.
- ^ Belfast Telegraph 15 November 2010 Archived 20 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine report on launch of Tiger Coaches service
- ^ Briscoe, Neil (22 September 2022). "How do we rate when it comes to public transport use?". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- ^ "National Travel Survey 2014". Central Statistics Office. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
- ^ "Number of sea travel passenger movements between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom (UK) from 2003 to 2014 (in 1,000 passenger movements)". The Statistics Portal. 2014. Archived from the original on 20 April 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ^ "Passenger Numbers at Irish Airports – 2002 to 2015". Archived from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
- ^ "Dublin airport's T2 unveiled". Irish Times. 19 November 2010. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ a b O'Halloran, Barry (25 January 2016). "Dublin-London second-busiest route in world". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
- Irish Mirror. Archivedfrom the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ "Ash makes Ryanair cancel flights until Monday". Forbes. 16 April 2010. Archived from the original on 19 April 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2018 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ "WATS Scheduled Passengers Carried 53rd Edition". International Air Transport Association. 2008. Archived from the original on 23 March 2010.
- ^ "Shannon stopover to go by 2008". Business News. RTÉ. 11 November 2005. Archived from the original on 22 February 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2008.
- ^ "Aviation Statistics". Central Statistics Office. 18 April 2019. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
- ^ "CAA Airport Data 2018". caa.co.uk. UK Civil Aviation Authority. 13 March 2019. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
External links
- Rail Users Ireland – Ireland's National Rail User organisation
- Meath on Track – Navan railway campaign (defunct)
- A discussion on GPS mapping in Ireland is available here. The discussion starts 8mins 17sec into the show. It was aired on 18 Jan 2007 Requires RealPlayer.