Mattie McGrath calls for upgrades to Waterford-Clonmel rail
Mattie McGrath spoke on 18 June 2025 about rural public transport, praising a new TFI town bus in Clonmel and urging upgrades and better marketing for the rail line linking Waterford, Clonmel, Caire and Limit Junction. He called for more frequent services, improved station facilities and greater promotion to boost rural connectivity.
Praise for TFI town bus in Clonmel
McGrath welcomed the new TFI link — a town bus in Clonmel — describing it as an outstanding success that has been well used. He noted the Waterford service now links into Kilmanaghan and Clonmel and highlighted local stops including Newcastle as positive additions.
Urgent rail upgrades requested
He pressed for a large investment in the rail line from Waterford to Clonmel and on to Caire and Limit Junction, arguing upgrades are needed to get cars off the road. McGrath said current services run only twice a day on some routes and must be increased to four or five times daily for real connectivity.
Station facilities and passenger awareness
McGrath criticised the lack of facilities at stations and the low public awareness of existing services - saying many people do not know the trains run. He called for stations in Clonmel and Caire to be properly opened and staffed so passengers are not left waiting without facilities.
Marketing and promotion of services
He urged better marketing of regional rail services, noting that even reliable services in Dublin are well promoted while rural lines are not. McGrath stressed promotion is vital so people understand and use the available train and TFI services.
Rural transport experience and engagement with the minister
Referencing his earlier work establishing Ring-a-Link for rural transport, McGrath described the project as one of his proudest achievements and said rural connectivity still has significant gaps. He concluded by inviting the minister to visit South Tipperary to see the "black spots" and engage on improving rail frequency, stations and promotion.
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I wish you well, Minister, and your new role at Stankford, and I hope you'll come to Tipperary, you know you will, there's several times to see the difference in the gaps that we have. I welcome the new TFI link, a town bus in Clonmel, it's an outstanding success, and been well used, and it's now been, the Waterford one is linking in to Kilmanaghan, and indeed Clonmel, and we needed to come to Newcastle, and onto that coffee, and a few stops there as well. Minister, the rail service, and you must come and see that, I use it, from Caire to Limit Junction, good service, only twice a day, it's only 2.70, a fair, which is nothing, but it must be upgraded to at least 4 or 5 times a day, and a better connectivity to Tullis, it must also be marketed, nobody knows it's even there, people said to me, where did you get a train, you couldn't get a train from Caire, they don't know it's there, so, you know they need to promote it. I use the data I did this morning, you're looking to have a service here in Dublin, great service, it's always on time, and very very efficient, and well ran, and a nice service, so you're looking to have those services, we have the gaps in rural areas that we shouldn't have, and we need, one of the first jobs I was in as a councillor was setting up Ring-a-Link for rural transport, one of the most joyous things I've ever done, now we have the most services on a salute check, meaning the manager there, staff drivers, everybody else, but we need more connectivity for rural islands, and we need a huge investment in the train line from Waterford to Clonmel to, onto Caire and Limit Junction, because it's the way to do, get the cars off the road, TFI services, we have many, they're great, they're coming, I suppose, but there's a long way to go, and I look forward to engaging with you Minister, and to maybe visit South Tipperary, and see for yourself, the black spots that are there, and especially the rail service, that we have the stations, we have the infrastructure, the line needs to be upgraded, and more frequent services, and above all, mark the services that we have, there's no kind of service running, and nobody knows about it, it's bizarre, they don't know, but they don't believe, and you say, get a train in Caire, and the station in Clonmel should have tired it's open, as well in Caire, it's not fair to have people waiting, without those facilities, thank you Minister.
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