Last Updated — 9 June 2026

Irish Rail confirmed on June 5th that it is revising the Multi-Criteria Assessment and the depot access road design in light of points raised by the local community.
Option 7 has not been withdrawn — Irish Rail has given no date for when the revised assessment will be available. Our objections are being heard. Thank you for your continued support.

⏰ Submit your objection to Option 7 before Friday 19 June 2026  |  Upcoming online meeting with Irish Rail Reps: 10 Jun 7–8:30pm  
Ballyrichard, East Cork

No to Option 7

Irish Rail selected Option 7 from eight assessed routes for staff access to the new Depot at Ballyrichard. It is the only option that destroys residential front gardens, scores worst of all for noise, alters a planned cycling greenway for East Cork, and adds 24-hour depot traffic to the already congested Waterrock Road and N25. A better route exists. Help us show Irish Rail why this decision must change.

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The Threat

What is Irish Rail proposing to do?

The Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme Phase 2 includes a new maintenance depot near Ballyrichard, east of Carrigtwohill. What we don't support is Option 7 — the proposed access road chosen to reach it.

Of eight options assessed, Irish Rail selected the route that causes the most harm to local residents. Option 7 would pass directly through private residential front gardens, requiring the compulsory acquisition of garden land and the felling of mature native trees that have stood for generations.

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Residential gardens and mature native trees destroyed

The access road would cut through the private front gardens of multiple households — amenity built over decades, gone permanently. Option 7 also requires the felling of mature native oak and ash trees that have provided habitat for wildlife for generations.

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A planned cycling greenway altered

Cork County Council's approved inter-urban cycleway runs through this same corridor, designed as a quiet off-road route through farmland. Option 7 would replace that with a path alongside a two-lane depot road used by HGVs around the clock.

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Workers' road only

This is not a public road or passenger access. It serves depot staff only. Destroying residential front gardens, felling mature native trees, altering a planned cycling greenway and adding 24-hour traffic to congested local roads — all to provide a staff entrance — is disproportionate when less harmful alternatives were assessed and scored within a narrow margin.

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Alternative routes exist

Irish Rail assessed eight options. Most avoid residential properties entirely. Irish Rail's own report admits Option 7 only "narrowly" beat other options. Review all seven alternatives →

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Severe traffic impact

The depot plans include 160 car parking spaces on the Carrigtwohill side. The depot will operate around the clock, requiring multiple shift changes throughout the day and night. Workers will travel the Waterrock Road and all approaches to reach them — significantly increasing traffic for local residents at all hours.

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Flooding and drainage risk

The depot's own drainage plans route a foul rising main along the access road to Castle Rock Avenue. Separately, large floodwater drain pipes from the new Waterrock estate are already being directed down Castle Rock Avenue into the small stream near Waterrock House. No flood impact study was carried out to assess the cumulative effect on Midleton — a town that has already suffered severe flooding.

We accepted the disruption of Phase 1 — night works, noise, construction traffic — because we believe in public transport. We are opposing one unnecessary decision that would destroy our neighbourhood when better options are right there on the map.

— Lisa, a resident directly affected by Option 7
The Evidence

What the maps and scores show

These images are taken directly from Irish Rail's own PC2 Project Report (Section 12.2, November 2025). They show all eight options assessed and the scoring table Irish Rail used to choose Option 7.

All eight depot access road options shown on aerial map — click to enlarge
Figure 12-8 — PC2 Project Report

All eight access road options

The aerial map shows every route considered. Most alternatives avoid residential properties entirely. Option 7 (their proposed option) is highlighted in cyan — it runs directly through the gardens of local families.

MCA scoring table for all depot access options
Figure 12-9 — PC2 Project Report

The scoring table

The MCA table shows the scoring used to select Option 7. Irish Rail's own report says the margin between Option 7 and other options was only "narrow".

Option 7 preferred depot access road route map
Figure 12-10 — PC2 Project Report

Option 7 route

The route map shows Option 7 cutting through residential land to reach the depot. This is the route Irish Rail has selected as its preferred option.

The residential garden that Option 7 would cut through — mature native trees including oak, ash and willow, established over decades
Proposed Option 7 route

One of the front gardens that would be destroyed

Along with the top photo, this is another private residential front garden through which Option 7 would cut a staff access road. Mature trees — including maple, ash and willow — have grown here for decades. Option 7 is the only one of the eight access road options assessed that requires the permanent acquisition of residential garden land.

The key word in Irish Rail's own report

The PC2 Project Report states: "Option 7 narrowly edges out Option 8 on Land Use Impacts and Local Environment Impacts. It is recommended that Option 7 be the Emerging Preferred Option."

A narrow margin decided a choice that permanently destroys residential front gardens and mature native trees. We are asking Irish Rail to review that decision.

Questions & Answers

What you need to know

Were there alternative routes considered?

Yes — Irish Rail assessed eight options in total. Several of these would reach the depot without passing through any residential front gardens. Irish Rail's own report acknowledges the margin between the chosen option and others was "narrow." Irish Rail did publish a scoring matrix, but we believe it is flawed: the methodology gives equal weight to all criteria, which dilutes the severe impact on residents — a noise score of Highly Negative on nine households is averaged with 18 other criteria and effectively disappears. We are asking Irish Rail to justify why a route through residential properties was selected when less harmful alternatives exist, and to publish a revised assessment with appropriate weighting for direct residential harm.

Why did Irish Rail choose Option 7 over the other options?

The report states Option 7 was preferred on a narrow margin related to engineering factors. Engineering convenience should not override the destruction of residential front gardens, the felling of mature native trees, and a significant increase in traffic on local roads serving residents around the clock.

Are we opposing the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme?

No. We fully support new stations and electrification. Many of us accepted significant disruption during Phase 1 construction because we believe in public transport. We are objecting to one specific decision: the choice of route for a staff access road when a less harmful alternative was available and assessed.

What about the trees — are they protected?

Oak and ash are native Irish species. Their ecological value — as habitat for bats, nesting birds, and invertebrates — must be assessed before any felling is authorised. Felling during the bird nesting season (February to August) would be a potential breach of the Wildlife Act 1976. No published ecological survey of the affected trees has been made available.

Can this actually be changed? Is it too late?

No — it is not too late. We are currently at Public Consultation No. 2, which is non-statutory. The Railway Order application to An Coimisiún Pleanála has not yet been filed. This consultation period is specifically designed for the public to influence the design before it is locked in. The deadline for submissions is Friday 19 June 2026. You can read the full project details on the Irish Rail CACR page.

What happens after the deadline?

Irish Rail will prepare a PC2 Findings Report, then file a Railway Order application with An Coimisiún Pleanála. At that point there will be a further statutory consultation — but the design will be much more fixed. The best chance to change the access road route is now, at this PC2 stage.

Take Action

Send your objection to Irish Rail

Your submission will be sent directly to the CACR Project Team at Irish Rail. Every individual submission counts — Irish Rail is legally required to log and respond to each one. It takes two minutes.

Select the points you want to make, add your name, and click Send. Your email app will open with a ready-to-send message addressed to CACR@irishrail.ie. Alternatively, fill out the feedback form on Irish Rail's website.

Step 1 — Choose your points (select one or more)
Step 2 — Your details
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Select at least one point above to see your email...
This opens your default email app with a pre-written message to CACR@irishrail.ie. You can edit the message before sending.
You can also write directly to: CACR Community Liaison Officer, Iarnród Éireann, 1 Horgan's Quay, Cork T23 PPT8