Work on the first phase of the Limerick to Foynes freight rail line in the Republic of Ireland is set to commence shortly. The news comes following the awarding of a 65 million euro contract for initial civil engineering by Irish Railways. The successful contractors will be John Sisk and Son, a multi-national company, active in Ireland, the UK, central and northern Europe. The project will see the west coast port, in the estuary of the River Shannon, reconnected to the rail network for the first time in over two decades.