Transportation in Ireland

Railways:
total: 1,947 km
broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (38 km electrified; 485 km double track) (1998)

Iarnród Éireann provides rail services linking Dublin (Pearse, Connolly & Heuston Stns.) to Cork (Kent Stn.), Waterford (Plunket Stn.), Kilkenny (MacDonagh Stn.), Galway (Ceannt Stn.), Tralee (Casement Stn.), Sligo (MacDiarmada Stn.), Limerick (Colbert Stn.) and Belfast. Since 1984 an electrically operated train service runs between Bray and Howth. It is called the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART). Noises have been made about the possibility of both a tram system and a subway system for Dublin, but a decision has yet to be made.

Highways:
total: 92,500 km
paved: 87,043 km (including 115 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,457 km (1999 est.)

Ireland's roads link Dublin with all the major cities (Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford and Belfast). See also: Roads in Ireland

Driving is on the left.

Waterways: 700 km (limited for commercial traffic) (1998)

Pipelines: natural gas 225 km (1998)

Ports and harbors: Arklow, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Foynes, Galway, Limerick, New Ross, Waterford

Merchant marine:
total: 31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 100,639 GRT/115,793 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 27, container 2, short-sea passenger 1 (1999 est.)

Airports: 44 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 17
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 7 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 27
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 25 (1999 est.)

Ireland's main airports are located at Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Derry and Shannon. Regional airports are located at Farranfore, Galway, Sligo and Waterford. Ireland's national airline, Aer Lingus provides air services from Dublin, Cork and Shannon to Britain, Europe and North America. Other airlines operate similar routes.

See also : Republic of Ireland