Irish Rail Submits Planning Application for New Dunkettle Station in Cork

Irish Rail has submitted a planning application for a new railway station at Dunkettle in County Cork.

The proposal marks the second planning application lodged for a new railway station in the county, following a recent application for a station in Blackpool. These projects represent the first of eight planned stations under a commuter rail programme designed to achieve a ten-minute service frequency across the three lines of Cork’s commuter network.

Both the Dunkettle and Blackpool developments are planned on existing Irish Rail land. The proposed Dunkettle station is designed as a park-and-ride facility situated near the Dunkettle interchange, offering direct connection to the M8 and N25. This location is intended to capture commuter traffic before it enters the city, thereby easing local road congestion.

Under the plans, the Dunkettle facility will feature approximately 300 car parking spaces, with the potential to expand parking capacity in phases depending on demand. The station will serve the Cork-to-Cobh and Cork-to-Midleton commuter lines, initially providing a 15-minute service frequency to the local catchment area.