Deputy John Paul O’Shea, TD for Cork North-West, has called on Iarnród Éireann to urgently address a clear gap in early morning rail services from Tralee to Mallow on Mondays, warning that current arrangements are not meeting the needs of commuters.
While acknowledging that a 4:30am service operates on Monday mornings—facilitating passengers connecting with the 6:00am Dublin-bound train at Mallow—Deputy O’Shea said the absence of the 05:45 service, which runs Tuesday through Friday, is a significant oversight.
Deputy O’Shea said “The existing 4:30am train does provide an option for those travelling to Dublin for 9am, and that is welcome. However, it does not address the needs of the vast majority of commuters who are travelling to Cork. Without the 05:45 service on a Monday, there is no practical way for many people to make timely onward connections to Cork city.”
He said the inconsistency in the timetable is causing unnecessary inconvenience, particularly for students and workers returning after the weekend.
“People depend on reliable and consistent public transport, especially at the start of the working week. The fact that this service runs from Tuesday to Friday but not on a Monday simply does not make sense and leaves a clear gap in connectivity.”
Deputy O’Shea stressed that introducing the 05:45 Monday service would be a straightforward and cost-effective adjustment with immediate benefits.
“This is not about creating a brand-new service—it is about extending an existing one to ensure fairness and consistency for passengers. A small timetable change like this would have a meaningful impact for commuters across Kerry and Cork.”
He added that improving rail connectivity between the southwest and Cork city is essential for regional development and reducing reliance on private cars.
Deputy O’Shea is now calling on Iarnród Éireann to act swiftly to address the issue and deliver a timetable that works for commuters every day of the week.
Current timetable from Tralee to Mallow on a Monday
Current timetable from Tralee to Mallow on Tues-Friday.
