The Department of Transport in Ireland published the Transport Sector Investment Plan on 26 Nov 2025. It’s bold and detailed, with commitments to funding totalling €22bn over five years for enhancements to bus and rail services, alongside a growing spend on road networks.
The announcement is impressive and necessary. But the hard part is in delivering on the promises. On top of the core disciplines, there are several themes that will need extra attention now and over the coming years to bring the plan to successful fruition. They are:
- Integration with adjacent Investments. Transport investment cannot stand alone. Its schemes must be fully integrated with housing, schools and other services, and with utilities. A new line or corridor only works if it links to thriving communities. Joined‑up planning is how we unlock growth and sustainable living.
- Multi‑modal services. The real prize is not just new projects. It’s a system where services on each mode connect seamlessly with each other. One ticket, one app, one journey, enabling travellers to make the right choice for each mode without the inertia of ticketing, pricing or journey planning confusion. That requires integration, data sharing, and a mindset that focuses on the ‘system’ beyond individual ‘projects’.
- Energising the supply chain. Delivery capacity is tight for major transport components, as well as for the skills needed to coordinate and manage the investments. We need suppliers excited, competing and innovating. Clear pipelines and the appropriate balance of specificity and flex in procurements will attract the best talent and keep momentum strong.
- Customer experience first. Every euro should be judged by how it improves the passenger journey. That means attention to service design, to accessibility, to information provision on routes, timetables and fares, to wayfinding, to real‑time information, and then to how to manage when things go wrong. Infrastructure is only as good as the service it delivers.
- Exploiting data. Transport provides rich sources of data, in construction, in operation, is service provision and in passenger usage. Predictive analytics, digital twins, demand forecasting could all transform delivery. And that’s before we get to the transformative potential of AI.
- Adopting a ‘can do’ mindset. Delivering transport projects is multi-faceted and they can take some time. There is a real danger of silod thinking and of drops in energy. That’s where the culture is key; it has to be one of ‘can do’ and it has to be relentlessly focused on the customer outcomes. If there are obstacles, they need to be overcome. That means clarity on governance, empowering at the right levels and embracing creative ideas. A mindset of progress over process.
The Transport Sector Investment Plan is ambitious and detailed. But success depends on integration, multi‑modal thinking, energised suppliers, customer focus, smart use of data, and a culture of removing blockers.
If we can keep this focus, we’ll build new services with confidence, with competitiveness, and we’ll have a transport system fit for Ireland’s future.
