Plan to expand DART to Kildare and Meath gets go-ahead after legal challenges dropped
PLANS TO EXTEND DART rail lines into Kildare and Meath can now go ahead, as legal action against Irish Rail's expansion project have been dropped.
An Bord Pleanála had granted a Railway Order, meaning that they had approved the plans, in November 2024, but two Dublin city businesses had delayed the project with court action.
Two separate judicial reviews were scheduled for hearing in the High Court this week relating to the Dart+ West plan, though the court heard yesterday that the cases had been withdrawn.
The project is now free to proceed – pending government funding.
A Department of Transport spokesperson would not confirm that the project will receive funding – but said that it is under consideration as part of the National Development Plan, a long-term government strategy aimed at improving infrastructure and enhancing public services.
'The National Development Plan is currently under review by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service and Reform, including funding for DART+,' the spokesperson said.
If this funding is granted, the DART+ West project will see the expansion of the DART network from Connolly station in Dublin to Maynooth, Co Kildare and the M3 Parkway in Bennetstown, Co Meath.
According to Irish Rail, the project will increase train capacity from the current six trains per hour per direction up to 12 trains per hour per direction, and will increase capacity from 5,000 to 13,200 passengers per day.
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It's one of four parts of the DART+ project, which will see the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport) network grow from 50km in length to over 150km.
Irish Rail / Iarnród Éireann
Irish Rail / Iarnród Éireann / Iarnród Éireann
Currently, The DART only runs along Dublin's coast, from Malahide or Howth in the north to Greystones in Wicklow in the south.
The ambitious plans will also double hourly passengers numbers from 26,000 in each direction to 52,000, and will treble the electrification of the Greater Dublin Area rail network.
In addition to the infrastructure development, 185 carriages have been ordered for the DART+ Fleet, with up to 750 in total possible under a framework contract with French fleet manufacturer Alstom.
A carriage from the new DART+ fleet.
Irish Rail / Iarnród Éireann
Irish Rail / Iarnród Éireann / Iarnród Éireann
The first fifteen carriages, made up of three five-carriage trains, have been delivered, and Irish Rail have confirmed that they have commenced the testing, commissioning and regulatory process.
These carriages are expected to begin entering service next year.
Irish Rail said it hoped to award contracts for construction of the Maynooth and M3 Parkway lines by the end of next year.
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