€228 million investment announced for cross-border rail connections.
The Irish government has committed €228 million (£197 million) to significantly upgrade rail services between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, allocating the bulk of the funding to infrastructure along the Londonderry-Belfast-Dublin corridor.
€193 million (£166 million) will be spent on the Londonderry-Belfast-Dublin rail infrastructure investment. A further €35 million (£30 million) will be used to secure the continuation of hourly trains from Dublin to Belfast until at least 2030.
This funding is drawn from the Irish government's Shared Island Fund, a program designed to support cross-border projects. Total allocations under the fund now exceed €1 billion (£862 million).
A key strategic goal is to achieve a 15-20 minute transfer time between the Dublin-Belfast and Belfast-Derry lines, improving connectivity across the island.
The government has also approved plans for a further €377 million (£325 million) to be allocated to 12 new projects scheduled for delivery between 2027 and 2030.