Enterprise: Hourly rail service between Belfast and Dublin begins

The Irish minister for transport, Éamon Ryan said he was “delighted” to see the introduction of the enhanced service.

“The new hourly-frequency represents a doubling of the service and significantly enhances sustainable transport connectivity between the two largest cities on the island, ” he said.

Stormont infrastructure minister John O’Dowd said the expanded service “offers opportunities to drive jobs and growth, stimulate development and regeneration and boost access to services and education”.

He also said that the move with “help decarbonise transport and encourage behavioural shift to public transport”.

O’Dowd also promised to “continue to be ambitious around our rail network”, adding that he looks forward “to a future where people across this island, in particular those in rural areas, have greater access to rail travel”.

Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann, Jim Meade said that the “future is bright for the Enterprise”, pointing to a project underway to provide new rolling stock for the service by the end of the decade.