Waterford train station closed after heavy rain leads to flooding

Irish Rail train

Niamh McGovern

Waterford train station is closed until further notice due to flooding.

Irish Rail has notified customers that the Waterford to Hueston Dublin service will start from Kilkenny due to the circumstances.

Passengers coming from Thomastown will be transferred to Kilkenny via bus transfer to meet the train.

This is a re-ocurring issue that disrupted services a number of times last year following long periods of rain. This is the station’s first closure of 2023 due to flooding.

Speaking on Morning Ireland, Barry Kenny, Communications Manager for Iarnród Éireann said: “The platform area has flooded; above the rails are completely covered. This is at the platform area so we have bus transfers in place between Waterford and Kilkenny while that is ongoing.

“We would obviously be hopeful that as the tide recedes, which is happening now, we can get the line back quickly and that the disruption will be limited.”

Mr Kenny added that while flooding is “not frequent” it is “not unusual”.

“Looking at last year there probably would have been about three occasions – one occasion in each of the previous two years – and it is the location, it is a very much aligned to when we have severe weather combined with the high tides that it can happen.

“But thankfully we do have with the Waterford-North Quays Project which is going to relocate Plunkett Station in Waterford and well associated flood defence works will happen as part of that, it does mean the end is in sight for this as an issue for us and for our customers.”

The expected completion date of the new station will be in 2026.

When asked about potential flooding again tonight, Mr Kenny said: “We will monitor that throughout today, there is a possibility but again if it were to happen we would be hopeful that it would be a relative number of services and we will prepare for that with transfers for buses”

One customer tweeted: “Every single year. It’s the shocked faces when it happens every year is what gets me.”

Carlow Weather tweeted: “Those very high spring tides causing issues with coastal flooding.”