After more than two decades lying dormant, a historic railway line in Ireland is set to reopen. The route between Limerick and the Port of Foynes, which has been used to transport freight since 1853, is currently undergoing extensive reactivation. Its return to service marks a significant milestone for Ireland’s rail infrastructure while further strengthening sustainable freight transport solutions.
As part of this project, Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann) was unable to meet the demand for concrete sleepers through domestic production capacity alone. This is where Moll Rail stepped in: in 2024, we supplied a total of 65,000 prestressed IR08 concrete sleepers, making a significant contribution to the successful delivery of the project.
The requirements for both production and logistics were considerable. Weighing approximately 325 kilograms each, the sleepers presented a major transport challenge. As a rule, long transport distances should be avoided when delivering concrete sleepers. In addition, the sleepers had to meet specific technical requirements and comply precisely with local engineering standards.
Despite these challenges, both the production and delivery of the sleepers were completed efficiently and reliably. The project demonstrates how specialised industrial expertise, combined with the outstanding logistics capabilities of our transport partners, enables complex railway infrastructure projects to be delivered successfully even in countries where Moll Rail does not operate production facilities.
With the forthcoming reopening of the Limerick–Foynes railway line, not only will a historic rail connection be restored, but a modern and sustainable foundation for freight transport in Ireland will also be established.