Irish rail passengers are being urged to check their journey details carefully today as Iarnród Éireann confirms that Sunday services are operating, but with specific cancellations and alterations on a number of InterCity routes.

While the national operator says a broadly normal Sunday timetable is in place for December 28, some long distance services have been removed or retimed, with a particular impact on those heading for early morning or late evening airport departures and ferry sailings.

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Sunday timetable in place but with targeted cuts

Iarnród Éireann has set out its Christmas and New Year rail plan, under which Sunday December 28, 2025 is scheduled to operate as a standard Sunday across the network, but with advertised cancellations and alterations on certain InterCity corridors.

The pattern reflects the company’s holiday strategy, balancing reduced demand on some flows with very strong seasonal traffic on others, particularly into and out of Dublin.

According to the operator’s festive service summary, both Saturday December 27 and Sunday December 28 are designated as normal weekend days, albeit with specific InterCity services removed from the timetable or retimed.

The rest of the network, including DART and most commuter routes, is due to run to its standard Sunday pattern, subject to preplanned engineering work and Christmas staffing arrangements.

The company is emphasising that every change is already uploaded to its journey planner and booking engine, and that customers should not assume that regular Sunday departure times are valid during the holiday period.

Travellers who rely on clockface departures between major cities such as Dublin and Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford or Sligo are being asked to confirm train times before committing to onward plans.

InterCity routes see focused cancellations and retimings

The most significant changes today affect InterCity services, particularly those linking Dublin with the main regional cities.

On several routes, a small number of trains that would normally operate on a Sunday have been cancelled outright as part of a broader Christmas running plan that includes reduced InterCity frequencies between December 27 and early January.

Other departures remain in place but have been retimed by several minutes to fit revised diagrams and to accommodate late night services operating elsewhere on the network over the holiday period.

Holiday service notices issued by Iarnród Éireann highlight this pattern, stressing that while the headline is a normal Sunday service, there are adjustments that matter for time‑sensitive travel.

The operator has followed a similar approach in previous years, combining a broadly familiar structure with targeted alterations around the busiest and quietest trains.

That means some early morning and late evening InterCity departures, which are often lightly used on winter Sundays, may not run today.

In parallel, some routes are carrying additional pressure from Christmas leisure travel and returning family visitors.

Demand for seats on spine services between Dublin and Cork, Dublin and Galway and cross‑country connections around Limerick, Kildare and Portlaoise remains elevated in the days between Christmas and New Year.

Pre‑booking is formally advised for InterCity journeys, and seat reservations remain mandatory on many long haul trains.

Risks for airport and ferry connections

The combination of selective cancellations and seasonal crowding has direct implications for passengers using rail as part of longer itineraries.

Irish Rail’s warning that Sunday services are running with alterations is of particular importance for those making timed connections with flights out of Dublin, Cork or Shannon airports, as well as ferry sailings from Dublin Port and Rosslare Europort.

Many transatlantic and European departures cluster in mid morning and early afternoon, which means travellers often depend on early Sunday InterCity trains to reach Dublin in good time.

A cancelled or retimed morning service on routes such as Cork to Dublin Heuston or Galway to Dublin Heuston can erode the buffer international passengers expect before airport check in and security.

Similarly, late evening cuts may narrow options for those landing back into Ireland and attempting to continue by rail the same day.

Ferry passengers face similar constraints. Sailings from Dublin and Rosslare typically require check in at the port well in advance of departure time, and some rail connections used by foot passengers are less frequent on Sundays even in normal weeks.

With Irish Rail now operating a Sunday schedule that also includes InterCity cancellations, the onus is on travellers to build in additional contingency if they are relying on a train to meet a specific sailing time.

Holiday travel squeeze after two rail‑free days

Today’s altered Sunday timetable lands at the end of a compressed holiday travel window.

Iarnród Éireann’s Christmas plan for 2025 confirms that there are no services on any route on Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day, with trains only restarting on Saturday December 27 and then reverting to normal weekday and weekend structures with seasonal tweaks through to New Year’s Day.

The two day suspension of rail services, followed by a single Saturday and Sunday to clear pent up demand, routinely produces some of the busiest trains of the year on InterCity corridors.

Families returning from Christmas visits, students coming back to cities and early winter tourists all converge on a network that is still not back to full weekday strength.

Although Sunday December 28 is marked as a normal service day, the added layer of targeted cancellations compresses capacity on some flows even further.

At the same time, operators are striving to maintain reliability and staff availability across an extended holiday period.

The mix of early shutdown on Christmas Eve, a complete pause on December 25 and 26, and amended InterCity patterns from December 27 through to January 2 has become a familiar feature of Irish festive transport.

The current Sunday variations are the InterCity component of that wider seasonal operating plan.

Advice from Irish Rail for today’s long distance passengers

For passengers traveling long distances today, Iarnród Éireann’s advice is unequivocal: check timetables before leaving home, arrive earlier than usual at the station and hold confirmed reservations wherever possible.

The operator says all cancellations and retimings for Sunday December 28 are already visible on the journey planner and ticketing platforms, so anyone searching for a train today should see only those services that are genuinely running.

Customers are being encouraged to allow extra connection time if their journey involves transfers between Heuston and Connolly stations in Dublin, or between rail and bus, tram or taxi services onward to the airport.

The company notes that buses, airport coaches and ferry shuttles may also be running on altered holiday timetables, and that city traffic around ports and terminals can be unpredictable in the post‑Christmas period.

Irish Rail also reiterates that pre‑booking of InterCity travel is strongly recommended through the entire Christmas and New Year window, with reservations filling up quickly on the most popular departures.

Where specific trains are already sold out, the system will prevent additional bookings, signalling that travellers need to choose an alternative time or consider different days around the peak.

What travellers should do if things go wrong

The risk that a cancelled or heavily delayed train could cause a missed flight or ferry is front of mind for many passengers today.

Travel industry observers note that while Iarnród Éireann is operating a planned timetable rather than responding to sudden disruption, the practical effect for someone who did not check changes in advance can feel similar to last minute cancellations.

Consumer advocates advise that any passenger whose reserved train is not operating as advertised should engage directly with Irish Rail staff at stations or via its customer service channels as soon as they become aware of the issue.

In many cases, staff can advise on alternative rail options, connecting bus links or taxi availability to reach airports and ports in time.

For those with flexible tickets, moving to an earlier or later train on the same day may be possible, subject to capacity.

When onward connections are at stake, airlines and ferry operators may show limited flexibility, especially in the peak holiday period, but some carriers will rebook passengers onto later departures if they can show that they were affected by documented public transport changes.

Keeping proof of original train bookings and any service alerts issued by Irish Rail can help in such discussions, even if direct compensation is not available.

How today fits into the wider festive rail picture

Sunday December 28 forms part of a broader seasonal pattern on the Irish rail network this year.

Iarnród Éireann has added late night DART and commuter services on selected dates in December and on New Year’s Eve, targeting partygoers and event crowds in Dublin with extra capacity into the early hours.

At the same time, the company has trimmed some daytime InterCity services and adjusted schedules around Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day to reflect lower business demand and operational constraints.

Regional media and transport commentators in Ireland note that this dual strategy of boosting urban late night trains while reducing some long haul daytime departures has become the template for holiday operations.

It is designed to respond to changing travel patterns, with more focus on leisure and nightlife and less on traditional office commuting between Christmas and New Year.

For InterCity passengers today, that translates into a need to be more proactive about planning and less reliant on habitual Sunday timings.

Looking beyond the holiday period, Irish Rail enters 2026 in the midst of a multi year programme to increase capacity, including a major order of new DART and commuter carriages and incremental timetable changes across key regional routes.

The immediate challenge, however, remains safely and reliably moving large numbers of people during one of the busiest travel windows of the year, while operating under reduced InterCity schedules on days like today.

FAQ

Q1. Are all Irish Rail Sunday services running today?
Today’s timetable for Sunday December 28, 2025 is described as a normal Sunday service, but there are planned cancellations and alterations on some InterCity routes, so not every usual Sunday train is running.

Q2. Which routes are most affected by the cancellations and changes?
The targeted cuts focus on InterCity services linking Dublin with regional cities such as Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Sligo, particularly some early morning and late evening departures that are usually quieter on winter Sundays.

Q3. How can I find out if my train today is cancelled or retimed?
You should check Irish Rail’s journey planner or app using today’s date and your exact route and time; only trains that are running should appear, and any retimed services will display their updated departure and arrival times.

Q4. Will my existing seat reservation still be valid if the timetable has changed?
If your reserved service is still operating at a slightly different time, your seat reservation should transfer automatically to the new schedule, but if the train has been cancelled you will need to contact Irish Rail to move to an alternative service.

Q5. I have a flight to catch today, how much extra time should I allow?
It is prudent to build in a larger buffer than usual, ideally arriving at the airport several hours before departure, because of possible crowding, altered train times and the cumulative impact of holiday traffic on local bus, coach and taxi connections.

Q6. Are there any changes to DART or commuter services today?
DART and most commuter routes are scheduled to run to a standard Sunday pattern, but there may be local alterations linked to engineering works or seasonal timetables, so times should still be checked before travel.

Q7. What happens if a cancelled train causes me to miss my flight or ferry?
Irish Rail staff can help you explore alternative routes and may confirm disruption details, but any rebooking or refunds with airlines or ferry companies will depend on their individual policies and your ticket type.

Q8. Do I have to pre‑book my InterCity journey today?
Pre‑booking is strongly advised, as many InterCity services over the Christmas period are reservation only or can become heavily loaded; without a booking you may not be able to board your preferred train.

Q9. Are ticket offices and customer service points open as normal on this Sunday?
Most major stations are staffed on normal Sunday hours, but smaller locations may have reduced opening times over the holiday, so purchasing tickets and making enquiries online in advance is recommended.

Q10. Will services return fully to normal after the New Year?
Irish Rail’s Christmas plan anticipates that full normal timetables will phase back in immediately after the New Year period, with weekday and weekend patterns resuming once temporary festive schedules and late night operations end.