Irish Rail has officially begun exploring the plan to double production at its sleeper production plant in Portlaoise but the move could result in job losses.

Iarnód Éireann has launched what's called a market consultation that could culminate in the appointment of a company to design, supply, install and maintain a new concrete sleeper production facility at its Sleeper Depot on the town's Old Knockmay Road.

The State-owned company aims to obtain market reaction or market soundings from participants in the relevant market to the proposal.

The company says the existing facility has an annual output of approximately 85,000 concrete sleepers and is operated by a total of 41 staff.

It says sleepers of bespoke design to suit Irish rails track gauge. The method of making the sleeper is briefly outlined in documents seen by the Leinster Express / Laois Live which also outline the change planned.

“It is proposed to construct a new concrete sleeper production facility at Portlaoise Rail and Sleeper Depot.

“The new facility will automate a number of the production processes, reducing manual labour input by 50% and increasing annual production to 165,000 per year.

“The design of the new plant layout will be key to achieving our objectives,” said the invite to companies.

While Irish Rail says the successful bidder shall supply a detailed design for the factory building and IÉ may choose to launch a separate tender to construct the building using a construction company. More below tweet.

The Portlaoise sleeper plant team stressing concrete sleepers today #24HRSinIE #epic pic.twitter.com/NxQQ5mPhAb — Iarnród Éireann (@IrishRail) February 2, 2017

The company says the key objective will be ensuring “optimal flow from start to finish”.

It says the selection of the proposed machinery, automated motion management systems and the general architecture and internal layout must be “optimally adopted” to the manufacturing process to “guarantee, standardisation, product quality and operational efficiency in the production of sleepers”.

Last summer Irish Rail held an “infrastructure showcase” at the Depot that was attended by Laois Offaly TD and Minister of State Sean Fleming. He hailed its importance in job provision over many years.

“Generations of local people have worked in the sleeper plant and it is a key anchor employer in Laois,” he said.

He said it would also be fundamental to the future of rail transport in Ireland.

In January 2022, Irish Rail asked companies to bid for the contract of designing, supplying and commissioning of two new gantry cranes at the plant. It said they would operate outdoors and require a lifting capacity of 25 tonnes each.

The Depot opened in the Conniberry area of the town in September 1973.

Irish Rail also operates a train maintenance facility in the town built in in 2008 for the company's fleet.