Irish Rail has announced that pre-booking will be required for passengers travelling on intercity rail routes from the 18th of December until the 6th of January.
This decision has been made because as travel restrictions are eased, trains will only be allowed to transport passengers at 50% capacity.
According to Iarnród Éireann Corporate Communications Manager Barry Kenny, passengers who arrive at stations without a pre-booked ticket will be turned away. Those with open returns or free travel tickets can pre-book without charge on the website.