Catering trolleys return to Dublin-Galway trains in trial

Iarnród Éireann has announced the return of catering trolleys to select Dublin-Galway intercity trains starting Monday, August 24, 2026. The move marks the first time the service has been restored on this route since it was suspended across the network at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

The initiative is a six-month commercial pilot programme operated by Irish company Sambos.ie. It will run on three services in each direction, seven days a week, on the line between Dublin Heuston and Galway Ceannt stations. According to the timetable provided, Monday to Saturday services will include the 7:35am and 9:25am trains from Dublin to Galway, and the 11:30am train from Galway to Dublin. The returning services in the opposite direction are the 11:05am, 1:05pm, and 3:05pm departures from Galway. Sunday schedules feature departures at 8:00am, 10:30am, and 11:40am from Dublin, and at 11:00am, 1:40pm, and 3:00pm from Galway.

An Iarnród Éireann spokesperson stated the company understands how much customers value onboard catering and acknowledged the frustration over its limited availability in recent years. The service has been reinstated only on the Dublin-Cork and...