The government of Ireland is planning to pour €1 billion ($1.1 billion) into heavy rail infrastructure over the next five years, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross announced on Dec. 2.
The program aims to increase service reliability and punctuality, improve journey times and ensure the continued safety of rail services through investments in rail civil engineering programs, including track relaying, signaling improvements and safety-related initiatives from 2020 to 2024, according to the government.
The money will be provided by the Infrastructure Manager Multi-Annual Contract (IMMAC), which provides the funding framework for the maintenance, renewal and improvement of the rail network in Ireland. Funding for IMMAC will be provided under allocations made under