Off the rails: Kilkenny train commuters face delays and bus diversions

People travelling to and from Kilkenny on Irish Rail services this weekend are being advised to prepare for disruption.

Works scheduled this weekend means many scheduled services will be disrupted, which may force commuters to leave their carriages and board buses to get to their destination.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Irish Rail services to and from Kilkenny have returned to its full timetable. There is also no expected reduction in capacity in light of the new Level-3 restrictions that came into effect this week.

Irish Rail this week advised commuters there will be disruptions this weekend as it undertakes improvement works on the Waterford/Kilkenny to Dublin Heuston line.

As part of the upgrades to engineering works between Hazelhatch and Newbridge, Irish Rail will ferry passengers between Athy and Newbridge on a bus.

The affected services are expected to take up to 30 minutes longer than is normally scheduled to reach Dublin, or in the other direction, Waterford and Kilkenny.

The services affected on Saturday are:
*17.35 Heuston to Waterford will be bus transfers direct from Heuston to Athy, second bus from Sallins to Athy, third bus from Kildare to Athy, train at 18.55 from Athy to Waterford;
*18.35 Heuston to Waterford will be bus transfers direct from Heuston to Athy, second bus from Newbridge to Athy, third bus from Kildare to Athy, train at 20.00 from Athy to Waterford;
*18.25 Waterford to Heuston will operate to Athy only, bus transfers direct from Athy to Heuston, second bus from Athy to Kildare.

On Sunday morning, the 09.10 Heuston to Waterford is deferred to 09.45 and will operate in an altered path. The 09.05 Waterford to Heuston service will operate in an altered path.

Irish Rail said services will return to normal by Sunday afternoon.