Hourly train service for Athy backed by thousands 

KILDARE South TD Mark Wall has announced that his petition calling for an hourly train service for Athy has received almost 4,000 signatures. The petition seeks to expand the existing Waterford to Dublin Heuston train line to better serve the growing commuter town.

“My petition for an hourly train service for Athy has the backing of 3,867 people, showing a clear groundswell of support for expanding train services for the town,” Deputy Wall said.

“Athy is a growing commuter town, and every morning nearly half of the working population travels to work elsewhere. Last year alone saw 271,516 train journeys to or from Athy. 

"This number is only going to grow, and we can already see the impact as multiple trains are at maximum capacity, particularly those leaving Heuston for Athy at peak hours.” 

Deputy Wall added that both Irish Rail and Minister of State Seán Canney have responded to his calls, noting that new carriages coming on stream for the DART+ service in 2027 and 2028 are expected to free up additional carriages for other routes.

“Given that nearly 300,000 train journeys are taking place to or from Athy, the town’s train station must be a priority for these additional carriages,” he said.

“This is just the beginning for our campaign. I will soon be delivering my petition with all 3,867 signatures on behalf of everyone who has supported the call for an hourly train service for Athy.”