The All-Island Strategic Rail Review, jointly published by the Department of Transport in Dublin and the Department of Infrastructure in Belfast, has presented a plan for Ireland's rail network that includes the electrification of Irish rail freight. The implementation of this vision could increase the market share of rail in freight transport from the current 1% to up to 10% of the total transport volume in the country. Currently, Ireland has only 53 km of electrified track serving a suburban commuter line in Dublin, while the rest of the system in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (2,733 km in total) is diesel-powered. The report proposes laying 650 km of new track to return the rail network to its pre-1970s state. Reopening old lines, connecting ports by rail, and establishing new rail links to airports are among the main objectives.
