Passengers made over 2 million train trips between Kildare and Dublin last year

There were 2.37million passenger journeys made between Kildare and Dublin last year representing a 6.7% increase on 2015, Irish Rail said today.

Improved economic circumstances and travel to events to commemorate the 1916 Rising all contributed to the uplift in customers travelling by train.

The Phoenix Park Tunnel opened for services in November of last year and numbers are expected to grow even more this year as a result of new customers travelling along the Kildare line to the South City via the Phoenix Park Tunnel

Nationally passenger journeys grew by 8% with a total of 42.8million customers travelling with the company in 2016 a healthy increase on 2015 when 39.6million passenger journeys were made.

The Taxsaver scheme run by Iarnród Éireann continues to grow, with more and more employers opting to join the scheme, which offers savings of up to 52% of travel costs through tax and PRSI and universal social charge savings for employees.

Employers can save up to 10.75% on PRSI. Many Commuters on the Kildare line are availing of this scheme through their employer.