Cork City Council has approved the development of a new station at Kilbarry, on the site of a former goods station above Blackpool Shopping Centre.
The station is expected to form an important part of the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme, one of the largest planned improvements to the county's rail infrastructure in decades.
As part of the development, an 83-space park and ride facility will be provided alongside the station. The plans also include a pedestrian footbridge and a designated area where buses and taxis can drop off and collect passengers.
The station itself will feature two 120-metre platforms positioned on either side of the existing railway line.
Facilities for passengers will include covered waiting areas, seating, lighting, bins, CCTV and information displays.
While construction has yet to begin, the approval represents significant progress for the wider Cork rail programme.
The Kilbarry station is one of eight new stations planned under the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme. Other proposed locations include Blarney/Stoneview, Monard, Tivoli, Ballynoe, Carrigtwohill West, Water-Rock and Dunkettle.
The wider programme is designed to significantly increase the frequency of commuter trains across Cork.
The long-term objective is to provide services approximately every 10 minutes on three key routes connecting Cork with Cobh, Midleton and Mallow.
The development of the new Blackpool station is therefore expected to play an important role in improving public transport connections and supporting the expansion of Cork's rail network.
