Dublin - Rosslare

Current Status

The Dublin Rosslare rail line currently has four trains each direction on weekdays from terminus to terminus. An additional northbound train departs from Gorey, and one additional Southbound train terminates at Wexford Town. On the weekend, this decreases to three trains per direction per day. The current service frequency ensures that this transport corridor is unusable for a significant section of the travelling public.

The journey time is very slow with the 168km journey taking 3 hours - an average speed of 56 kilometres per hour.

What’s possible?

The poor journey time is solvable. The weekday “AM peak” train (from Rosslare 5:35) shows a journey time from Wexford to Pearse station of two hours, forty-two minutes. This same journey on a weekend train (Sunday from Rosslare 18:05) takes only two hours, nine minutes – a difference of thirty-three minutes. Most of this difference occurs between Bray and Pearse – with the Bray – Pearse section taking 42 minutes on a weekday morning as opposed to 23 minutes at the weekend, due to the Intercity Train with limited stops being unable to overtake the frequently stopping DART. In this key corridor in the Greater Dublin Area – this is a nineteen minute difference in journey time.

In 2021, the consultants Mott McDonald released a report on the Bray - Rosslare Section. An analysis using RouteRunner showed that Improved Journey times can be achieved by removing speed restrictions on the line – dealing with some of these low line speed areas can decrease journey times by 27 minutes between Bray and Rosslare in both directions.

This demonstrates a Rosslare-Dublin Connolly journey is possible in 2 hours 15 minutes an average of 75 kilometres per hour.

What are the next steps?

Commit to infrastructure upgrades to allow a faster service,

Install new passing loops to allow more frequent service.

Long Term Goals

South East On Track’s eventual goal is an all-day hourly Dublin-Wexford service.