Statistical Bulletin: 01 / 2019 July 2019 National Heavy Rail Census Report 2018 July 2019 National Heavy Rail Census 2018 | 3 Table of Contents Introduction 4 Operating Conditions on the Day of the Census 4 Overview of the Rail Network 5 Changes to Rail Services in 2018 10 Trends in Daily Rail Patronage, 2003 – 2018 11 Key Events since 2003 11 Historic Trends in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) 12 Analysis of Mode Share from the Canal Cordon Count 15 Comparison of Census Data and Annual Rail Statistics 18 Rail Usage in the GDA and Economic Trends 18 Rail Patronage 20 National and Greater Dublin Area 20 Rail Usage according to Service Categories 20 Rail Usage on Individual Lines 21 Busiest Stations 22 Variation in Station Usage 23 Patronage by Line 24 DART 24 Hourly Profile of Demand 24 Profile of Demand by Station 25 Dundalk – Rosslare 26 Hourly profile of Demand 26 Profile of Demand by Station 27 Dublin – Belfast (Enterprise) 28 Sligo – Longford – Bray 29 Hourly Profile of Demand 29 Profile of Demand by Station 30 Heuston Commuter Services 31 Profile of Demand by Station 32 Heuston Inter City Services 33 Cork Commuter and Regional 35 Hourly Profile of Demand 35 Regional Lines 38 Radial Rail Usage in Dublin 39 Daily Line Flow into th City Centre by radial corridor 39 Peak hour flows by radial corridor 40 Train loadings by radial corridor 41 Appendix A: Daily Boardings at each Station by Service Type 42 Appendix B: Daily Alightings at each Station by Service Type 48 Appendix C: Train Capacity by Type 53 4 | National Heavy Rail Census 2018 National Heavy Rail Census 2018 | 5 Introduction Overview of the Rail Network The rail network in Ireland consists of approximately 2,400km of railway track and includes 147 open stations. Three distinct categories of service operate on the national rail network; Inter City, Commuter and DART. These service Iarnród Éireann commissioned Amárach Research to carry out the annual National Census of Rail patronage on categories share lines at various locations along the network. Table 1 provides a description of the routes within each behalf of the National Transport Authority. Boardings and alightings of passengers at every train station in the of the categories as defined by Iarnród Éireann and Figures 1 to 3 show maps of the network. country are recorded on one day of the year. The 2018 Census is the seventh national Census. Prior to 2012, the census was carried out in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) comprising the counties of Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow only. Table 1: Routes and Services in the Iarnród Éireann Network The annual National Rail Census captures the number of individuals boarding and alighting at each station in the country on one day of the year. It provides a snapshot of usage and patronage across the country at all stations and Route Services on Each Route on all services on this one date. It is not intended to represent an accurate picture of overall demand for rail services, which instead is recorded in Iarnród Éireann’s passenger journeys data. While over time the census can help to Dublin – Belfast illustrate trends, each individual year the census data is subject to variation based on factors such as operating conditions, weather, travel delays etc. Dublin – Sligo Overall, on census day, there were 178,058 passenger journeys across the network an increase of 6% on 2017. Daily total passenger journey numbers are now up almost 44% in the period 2012 – 2018. Meanwhile Iarnród Éireann Dublin – Westport / Ballina reported 47.9m total passenger journeys in the year 2018 up 5% on 2017 and almost 31% over the longer period 2012 – 2018. Annual passenger volumes returned to peak 2007 levels in 2017 and are now 5% greater than the previous Dublin – Galway peak. This report provides an overview of the 2018 National Rail Census and discusses the annual change in rail journeys Dublin – Limerick throughout the country. It also sets out the changes in rail usage in the GDA over the period 2017 to 2018. The report structure is as follows: Inter City Dublin – Cork / Limerick Junction / Tralee • Section 1 provides a background and also sets out the methodology of the Rail Census. An overview of the rail Dublin – Waterford network in Ireland is also provided; • Section 2 analyses the trends in rail journeys in the GDA from 2003 to 2018 and also assesses how the findings of the Rail Census compare with other measurements of rail usage; Dublin – Kilkenny • Section 3 discusses in detail the findings from the 2018 Rail Census; • Section 4 presents an analysis of journeys on individual lines; and Dublin – Rosslare • Section 5 discusses patterns of passenger movement in and out of Dublin on a radial corridor basis. Limerick – Galway Operating Conditions on the Day of the Census Limerick – Waterford The 2018 census took place on 15th November 2018. Operating conditions on the day were normal with no service Dublin – Dundalk cancellations, delays or disruptions on the network. Dublin – Portlaoise Dublin – Longford Commuter Routes Dublin – Dunboyne / M3 Parkway Dublin – Gorey Mallow – Cork – Cobh - Middleton DART Malahide / Howth – Dublin – Bray / Greystones 6 | National Heavy Rail Census 2018 National Heavy Rail Census 2018 | 7 Figure 1: Inter City Network Figure 2: Dublin Network To Belfast Dublin End of Short Hop Zone Train Balbriggan Kilcock DUBLIN Skerries Portrush AIRPORT Services Maynooth Rush & Lusk e o Derry g Donabate on Leixlip Louisa Bridge Z Sli Malahide p M3 Parkway o T Leixlip Confey Ho DART Train Dunboyne Portmarnock t r o Clongriffin h Hansfield Castleknock Ashtown Broombridge Coleraine S Commuter Train Larne Bayside Sutton Howth of d Connection n Clonsilla Coolmine Navan Road E Ballymena Parkway Drumcondra Howth Junction & Donaghmede Terminus Kilbarrack Bangor Raheny Antrim Harmonstown Killester DUBLIN Clontarf Road Belfast PORT Connolly Docklands Sligo Lisburn RIVER LIFFEY DUBLIN CITY Collooney Lurgan Park West & Sallins & Naas Adamstown Cherry Orchard Tara Street Ballina Ballymote Portadown Pearse Station e d n n Hazelhatch Clondalkin Fonthill Heuston o Grand Canal Dock Z & Celbridge rela Boyle p Newry o t I Lansdowne Road H es t Foxford r W Sandymount Carrick On Shannon Dundalk To Sydney Parade of Sho Westport Dromod Booterstown Drogheda End Manulla Junction Longford Blackrock Laytown Seapoint Castlebar Edgeworthstown Ballyhaunis Salthill & Monkstown Gormanstown Mullingar Dún Laoghaire Sandycove & Glasthule Claremorris Enfield Balbriggan Castlerea Glenageary Kilcock Maynooth Skerries Dalkey Killiney Roscommon Rush & Lark Shankill Malahide Bray Galway Athenry Woodlawn Athlone Tullamore Portarlington Kildare Heuston Greystones Dublin Connolly Kilcoole © National Transport Authority 2014 End of Short Hop Zone Clara Dublin Pearse Design by Catalysto Oranmore Attymon Ballinasloe Mornasterevin Newbridge To Rosslare Portlaoise Athy Dun Laoghaire Craughwell Ballybrophy Bray Roscrea Ardrahan Greystones Cloughjordan Carlow Gort Wicklow Figure 3: Cork Network Nenagh Ennis Templemore Rathdrum Muine Bheag Birdhill Sixmilebridge Arklow Cork Train To Limerick & Galway To Dublin Limerick Castleconnell Services Thurles Kilkenny Gorey Enniscorthy Train Thomastown Wexford Bus Connection Limerick Junction Limerick Junction Tipperary Connection Clonmel Rosslare Strand Waterford Terminus Tralee Charleville Killarney Millstreet Rosslare Europort Charleville Farranfore Cahir Carrick On Suir Mallow Mallow To Waterford Rathmore Banteer Glounthaune To Tralee Midleton Little Island Glounthaune Carrigtwohill Midleton Cork Cobh Cork RIVER LEE Fota CORK CITY Carrigalow Intercity Train Services Rushbrooke Intercity Connection Terminus Cobh CORK AIRPORT © National Transport Authority 2014 © National Transport Authority 2014 Design by Catalysto Design by Catalysto 8 | National Heavy Rail Census 2018 National Heavy Rail Census 2018 | 9 Tables 2 to 4 detail the service provision for a sample weekday for for direct Inter City services and key Commuter and DART services. This includes the fastest journey time and the number of services available per weekday in 2018. Trends in Daily Table 2: Inter City Journey Times and Table 3: Key Commuter Journey Times Service Frequency1 2018 and Service Frequency 2018 Rail Patronage, Route Fastest Number Route Fastest Number journey of services journey of services 2003 – 2018 time per time per 2018 weekday1 2018 weekday2 Key Events since 2003 Dublin – Cork 2:15 30 Dublin - Portlaoise 0:41 37 Rail usage is a derived demand, dependent, amongst Dublin – Belfast 2:05 16 Dublin – Newbridge 0:13 46 other factors, on levels of economic activity. Since 2003 trends in rail patronage have closely followed Lanyon Place (Grand Canal Dock (0:39) (24) economic performance. At the start of the period, the - Newbridge / demand for rail usage increased steadily. This increase Dublin – Galway 2:11 19 in demand necessitated investment in the rail network Celbridge)3 Dublin – Westport 3:06 8 and fleet and major rehabilitation works, in addition to Dublin - Maynooth 0:30 79 service improvements. Between 2000 and 2010, for Dublin – Sligo 2:59 16 example, service levels on the Inter City, Commuter and Dublin - Drogheda 0:32 55 DART networks were approximately doubled. Following Dublin – Tralee 3:42 2 an upgrade in 2006, capacity on the DART increased. Dublin - Dundalk 0:55 13 Station improvements were carried out and platforms Dublin – Limerick 2:01 7 were lengthened in order to accommodate longer, higher Cork - Mallow 0:21 15 capacity trains. In more recent times the reopening Dublin – Waterford 1:53 14 of the Phoenix Park tunnel to passenger services and Cork - Midleton 0:23 44 increased frequency of DART services have increased Dublin - Rosslare 2:57 8 the level of rail service in the Greater Dublin Area. The Cork - Cobh 0:24 46 commencement of LUAS Green Line Cross City services has also connected the LUAS network to the Maynooth rail line, increasing the potential for interchange between Table 4: DART Journey Times and Service Frequency 2018 rail and LUAS services. • The re-opening of the Phoenix Park Tunnel to scheduled passenger services in November 2016.