A new nearly €80 million signalling contract signed by Irish Rail in Cork today will treble the number of trains which can operate between the city and Cobh, Mallow and Midleton.
The agreement with the rail company Alstom Transportation plans for a major signalling upgrade project on the Cork Commuter Rail Network.
Ultimately, the network will have a capacity of 16 million passenger journeys per year in Cork.
Works are to begin later this year and be complete by mid-2026.
Speaking to RedFM News, larnród Éireann Chief Executive Jim Meade gave details of the contract:
"It's part of a €180 million spend that increases the infrastructure capacity here in Cork," he said.
"There's three components to the whole thing: we are adding a platform here in Cork, we are double-tracking from Glounthaune Junction to Middleton, and then the signalling project we've signed with Alstom... will allow us to move to a 10-minute service here and put in a full commuter network between Mallow, Cork, Cobh, Midleton.
"At the end of this project we will also have electrified the network here in Cork, so we will be running electric and battery electric trains in the Cork area," he added.
