Delivering a modern public transport system

Ireland’s public transport system is entering a period of profound transformation, writes Stephen Kent, CEO of CIÉ.

In 2025, the CIÉ Group recorded a landmark year, with passenger numbers reaching new highs and investment accelerating across infrastructure, technology, and sustainability. This momentum reflects not only growing demand, but a decisive shift in how people across the country are choosing to travel.

Public transport is no longer simply a service; it is a central pillar of Ireland’s response to climate change, housing pressures, and economic growth. At CIÉ, our role is to ensure that this system remains resilient, accessible, and capable of meeting the needs of a rapidly changing society.

The scale of growth in 2025 is clear. Across the CIÉ Group, passenger journeys exceeded 336 million. This growth has been supported by improvements in service delivery, increased investment from the State, and collaboration with our stakeholders, including the National Transport Authority (NTA) and the Department of Transport.

However, growth of this scale also brings challenges. Meeting rising demand requires sustained investment in infrastructure, fleet capacity, and workforce development. It also requires continued focus on reliability, accessibility, and customer experience. Ensuring that public transport remains a convenient, reliable, and attractive option for passengers will be key to maintaining this growth trajectory.

Ireland’s public transport network is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. Programmes such as DART+, BusConnects, and Connecting Ireland are reshaping how people move within and between our cities, towns, and rural communities. These programmes are not standalone projects. They form part of a coordinated national strategy to enable modal shift, reduce congestion, and support more sustainable patterns of development. For CIÉ, our role is to support these ambitions through investment, delivery, and collaboration, ensuring that outcomes are delivered efficiently.

At the same time, we are increasingly focused in CIÉ on transit-oriented development, using our property portfolio not only to support public transport, but also to support housing and urban regeneration. This represents a significant opportunity to align transport and land-use planning in a more coherent way. By locating homes, jobs, and services close to high-quality public transport, we can reduce car dependency, support compact urban growth, and deliver more efficient and liveable communities.

Sustainability is central to CIÉ’s strategy. Every additional passenger choosing bus or rail contributes to a cleaner, lower-carbon Ireland. In line with national climate targets, we are progressing a transition to low- and zero-emission fleets, with the support of the NTA. This includes electrification of bus and rail services, alongside investment in charging infrastructure in our depots, increased use of biofuels, and renewable energy.

“We can ensure that public transport plays a central role in shaping Ireland’s future; connected, inclusive, and resilient.”

We are also taking steps to improve the environmental performance of our operations, from energy efficiency across our buildings to improved waste management and biodiversity programmes.

The scale of this transition should not be underestimated. Expanding services while reducing emissions presents a complex challenge, requiring coordinated investment, innovation, and partnership across government and industry. It also requires careful planning to ensure that sustainability measures are delivered in a way that supports operational resilience and value for money.

A public transport system is only as strong as the people who deliver it. Across CIÉ, more than 13,000 employees play a vital role in ensuring that services operate safely, reliably, and efficiently. In 2025, we continued to invest in our workforce, supporting recruitment, training, and development to meet growing demand for services. This includes initiatives to enhance skills in critical areas such as engineering, operations, and digital systems.

At the same time, we strengthened our focus on accessibility and inclusion, ensuring that our services are open to all passengers and reflective of the communities we serve. This includes ongoing improvements in infrastructure, customer communications, and service design to better meet the needs of people with disabilities, older passengers, and those travelling in more remote areas.

In the last year we have made significant progress on the long-standing pension challenges that have been a shadow over the group for many years.

Agreement with staff on pension reform provides greater certainty and reduces risk for the future, enabling us to better manage long-term liabilities while supporting our employees and pensioners.

In parallel, we continue to enhance our resilience in areas such as cybersecurity, recognising the importance of protecting critical infrastructure and data in an increasingly digital environment.

The outlook for public transport in Ireland is one of opportunity and responsibility. Demand is growing, expectations are rising, and the broader national agenda, from climate action to housing, depends increasingly on a strong and integrated transport system. CIÉ enters this period with a clear strategy.

In the years ahead, we will continue to work closely with government, agencies, and local authorities to deliver the infrastructure and services required to support Ireland’s future.

This includes expanding capacity across key corridors, accelerating decarbonisation, and unlocking the potential of our assets to support wider societal goals. It also means continuing to place the citizen at the centre of our decision-making, ensuring that services are designed around evolving needs and expectations.

The ambition is clear: a modern, integrated public transport system that serves the needs of citizens, supports economic growth, and contributes to a more sustainable Ireland.

Achieving this ambition will require sustained commitment, but the progress made to date demonstrates what is possible. By building on this momentum, we can ensure that public transport plays a central role in shaping Ireland’s future; connected, inclusive, and resilient.

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