The first consignment of tracks has arrived at Foynes Port for the reinstatement of the Limerick to Foynes freight rail line.
In the 1930s the 40km route carried a mixed goods and passenger train, but it was predominantly a freight line.
Freight traffic was introduced from Silvermines in Co Tipperary in 1966, and ran until the 1990s.
The last train movement on the Limerick to Foynes line was the weed spray train, which ran for last time in 2002.
Shannon Foynes Port Company says the reinstatement of the rail link is a key piece of infrastructure for transforming the Shannon Estuary into a global floating offshore wind energy hub.
It also says it’ll facilitate the sustainable expansion and development of the port, and reduce the carbon footprint for the country by moving substantial quantities of cargo from road to rail.
