IRISH RAIL earned €1.76m from car parks at five railway stations in 2014, according to figures revealed under the Freedom of Information Act.

At Kent station in Cork alone, the company earned €618,746 from parking charges.

The national rail operator charges customers a minimum of €8 for a day’s parking in Dublin and Cork, and smaller amounts outside these cities — although savings can be made with weekly charges.

It has never before stated how much it earns from parking, claiming that charges are intended to deter non-rail users from using their parking facilities rather than as a revenue-raising mechanism.

Kent station took in the most money last year, while Heuston station in south Dublin earned €484,607 and Connolly station on the capital’s northside collected