Eoin Ryan
A new railway order seeks permission to extend the electrified DART network from Connolly station area to west of Maynooth, Co Kildare and to M3 Parkway, Co. Meath.
The application for the Dart+ West project was submitted on 29th July by Córas Iompair Éireann and a public consultation process is currently running from 5th August to 30th September 2022. Construction of the project is expected to start in 2024 and finish completion by 2029.
This is the first major Railway Order application under the current National Development Plan with plans to link Drogheda, Greystones and Celbridge to Dublin City Centre still waiting on an application.
40km of electrification and re-signalling along the Maynooth and M3 parkway line is planned alongside the introduction of new electric Dart carriages.
Preston street, Dublin, will get a new station entrance and Connolly station will have enhancements to their rail capacity.
Six level crossings will close to prevent increases in train frequency from resulting in road congestion and replacement roads and paths for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists are to be constructed.
A new station at Spencer Dock with access to the Luas Red line and a Dart depot facility west of Maynooth station will be constructed.
Changes to the plan such as the level crossing closure solution at Ashtown and the removal of the vehicular bridge at Coolmine have been made after two public consultations took place. A third local consultation is to take place in Ashtown.
A railway order website, http://www.dartwestrailwayorder.ie provides all documents related to the railway order and Hard copies of the documents will be available from 5th August in several locations.
Meath South East News 