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Ballyrichard, East Cork

Save Our
Trees

Irish Rail's preferred depot access route would destroy mature native oak and ash trees and cut a road through the gardens of local families. A better alternative exists. Help us stop it.

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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. We support that. 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 gardens, requiring the compulsory acquisition of garden land and the felling of mature native trees that have stood for generations.

🌳

Mature native trees felled

Oak, ash and other native trees that provide wildlife habitat, shade and shelter for families and for nature would be permanently lost.

🏡

Gardens destroyed

The access road would cut through the private residential gardens of multiple households — amenity built over decades, gone permanently.

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Workers' road only

This is not a public road or passenger access. It serves depot staff only. Destroying a neighbourhood for a staff entrance is disproportionate.

🔀

Better alternatives exist

Option 8 and other locally proposed routes would reach the depot more directly without affecting a single residential property. Irish Rail's own report admits Option 7 only "narrowly" beat Option 8.

We accepted the disruption of Phase 1 — night works, noise, construction traffic — because we believe in public transport. We are not opposing the depot. We are opposing one unnecessary decision that would destroy our neighbourhood when a better option is right there on the map.

— 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
Figure 12-8 — PC2 Project Report

All eight access road options

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

MCA scoring table and Option 7 route map
Figure 12-9 & 12-10 — PC2 Project Report

The scoring table and Option 7 route

The MCA table (top) shows Option 7 and Option 8 scored identically as "Slightly Positive." The route map (bottom) shows Option 7 cutting through residential land. Irish Rail's own report says Option 7 only "narrowly" outscored Option 8.

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 gardens and mature native trees — when the alternative avoids all of this. We are asking Irish Rail to review that decision.

Questions & Answers

What you need to know

What is the alternative to Option 7?

Option 8 is an alternative route that also scored "Slightly Positive" in Irish Rail's own assessment — the same top rating as Option 7. It reaches the depot without passing through any residential gardens. There is also an existing boreen near Carrigtwohill that, with upgrading, could provide access closer to the depot, with a public benefit to road users in the area.

Why did Irish Rail choose Option 7 over Option 8?

The report states Option 7 was preferred because it requires no bridge construction over the railway. Building a bridge is an engineering cost — it is not a reason to destroy residential gardens and native trees. Engineering cost should not override community and environmental impact in a planning assessment.

Are we opposing the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme?

No. We fully support new stations, electrification, and the new depot. 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 Coimisin Pleanala 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 12 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 Coimisin Pleanala. 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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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, Iarnrod Eireann, 1 Horgan's Quay, Cork T23 PPT8