The Irish government is to contribute €228m (£197m) towards improving rail services between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, according to the BBC. Some €193m (£166m) will go towards the Londonderry-Belfast-Dublin rail infrastructure investment, and an additional €35m (£30m) will be spent on continuing hourly trains from Dublin to Belfast, ensuring the service continues until at least 2030.

Shared Island Fund Allocation

The funding will come from the last allocation from the Irish government’s Shared Island Fund; the initiative aims to support cross-border projects benefiting people in both the Republic and Northern Ireland. A 15- to 20-minute transfer time is planned between the Dublin-Belfast and Belfast-Derry lines to enhance connectivity among the three cities.

Future Projects and Additional Investments

Cabinet ministers in Dublin were informed that total allocations under the fund are over €1bn (£862m) and that plans have been approved for a further €377m (£325m) to be used for 12 new projects between 2027 and 2030. Also, the government will contribute £3m towards cricket facilities at the Stormont estate in Belfast, part of the redevelopment plans for co-hosting games in Northern Ireland during the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup in 2030. Cricket Ireland and the Northern Ireland Civil Service Sports Association are also contributing £1m (€1.15m) each toward the expansion of the sports grounds.

Extreme Heat Affects Heritage Rail Services

In a separate development. The Severn Valley Railway (SVR) has canceled all services for Wednesday and Thursday due to a red extreme heat warning; the heritage steam railway, which runs between Bridgnorth in Shropshire and Kidderminster in Worcestershire, cited staff and customer welfare as a top priority. Lesley Carr. A representative of SVR. Noted that several drivers had already been affected by the heat in recent days, and the railway did not want to risk passengers or staff. A red warning from the Met Office indicated that the UK could experience its hottest June day on record since 1976, with temperatures expected to exceed 35°C.

Carr described the steam locomotive footplate as “unbearable” in extreme heat and mentioned that even stepping off the train onto hot platforms offered no relief. SVR has contacted visitors who had prebooked for the next two days and provided them with options. Services are expected to resume from Saturday.