DART to Drogheda takes a significant step forward

12 July 2024

DART+ Coastal North Railway Order application lodged with An Bord Pleanála to bring DART to Drogheda

The extension of the DART to Drogheda, serving expanding communities along the Coast from Dublin, took a significant step forward today when Iarnród Éireann lodged a Railway Order application with An Bord Pleanála to seek permission to extend the electrified DART network from Malahide to Drogheda MacBride Station.

The project will significantly increase the peak hourly capacity and frequency on the Northern route between Dublin city and Malahide, Howth and Drogheda, with the section between Malahide and Drogheda (as part of the service between Dublin city and Drogheda) nearly doubling capacity from about 4,800 to 8,800 passengers at peak hour/direction when complete.

The benefits will be felt even sooner. In advance of the construction of DART+ Coastal North, commuters on this route will benefit from new battery electric DART+ trains, which will run on electricity under wires from the city centre to Malahide and continue under battery power to Drogheda. Construction of charging facilities at Drogheda is already underway. The first of these new trains will arrive in Ireland this Autumn and after a period of testing and commissioning, these vehicles will begin entering service on the Drogheda route in early 2026.

The statutory public consultation period for DART+ Coastal North will commence on 19^th July until 20^th September 2024, a period of eight weeks.  Following the DART+ West Railway Order (Maynooth/M3 Parkway to Dublin), which was lodged with An Bord Pleanála in July 2022 and the DART+ South West Railway Order Application (Hazelhatch to Heuston / Phoenix Park Tunnel), which was lodged in March 2023, DART+ Coastal North is the third route in the DART+ Programme to reach this stage.

Funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority, under Project Ireland 2040, DART+ Coastal North will provide a greatly enhanced and more sustainable transport option for new and existing communities in Drogheda, East Meath and North County Dublin. This will be achieved through infrastructure works and electrification, resulting in higher frequencies and new trains.

Minister for Transport Éamon Ryan TD said: “Iarnród Éireann’s lodgement of a Railway Order Application today further cements our commitment to develop a high-quality, sustainable public transport system in Ireland, providing more and more people with access to a far better alternative to sitting in traffic.”

“This project will mean that we can almost double capacity at peak time, giving communities a quality, more frequent train service between Dublin and Drogheda, while supporting our decarbonisation goals. What makes this project even better is that passengers on the line between Dublin city and Drogheda will start to see welcome benefits by 2026 through the entry into service of brand-new battery-electric DART trains, providing a pathway to the full electrification of the line”.

Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann Jim Meade said: “Today is a great day for the communities of Drogheda, East Meath and North County Dublin. The provision of DART services will transform commuting for existing and new communities along the Drogheda/Howth to Dublin railway corridor. It will make travelling with us more sustainable, more frequent and more reliable. This is the third DART+ project to submit a railway order. The DART+ programme, when delivered, will truly revolutionise commuting in the Greater Dublin Area and assist in meeting Ireland’s climate action targets by reducing reliance on the private car and providing sustainable high frequency, high-capacity transport.  We encourage commuters and communities along the route to participate in the Railway Order process.”

Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority said: “When we invest in transport infrastructure, we are investing in the future of Irish communities and their ability to access dependable, sustainable public transport alternatives. The submission of the DART+ Coastal North Railway Application today marks a significant milestone for the communities that will be served by this improved service, as it will bring increased passenger capacity, higher frequency services, and ultimately a more sustainable, accessible, and reliable rail service to the region. As the NTA continues to support the project as it goes into its next planning phase, the participation of the local communities during the upcoming consultation process is crucial to delivering this project.”

The planned infrastructure improvements as part of DART+ Coastal North include:

• 37km of electrification and re-signalling of the railway line between Malahide and Drogheda MacBride Stations.
• Reconfiguration of the existing track layout and associated infrastructure in the vicinity of Drogheda MacBride, Malahide, Clongriffin and Howth Junction & Donaghmede Stations; including a new platform at Drogheda MacBride Station, and infrastructure to enable operational flexibility for both direct Howth to city and Howth to Howth Junction DART shuttle services as required.
• All civil, bridge and ancillary works as necessary to accommodate the project.
• Improvement of Howth Junction & Donaghmede Station.
• Modification to Fairview and Drogheda train Depots to support the new train fleet.
• Reconfiguration of track layout north of Malahide to provide a train turnback facility that maintains the distance between rail operations and adjacent residences.

There have previously been two rounds of non-statutory public consultation on this project, with revisions to the proposals arising from feedback received. These changes include the upgrading of Howth Junction & Donaghmede station and reconfiguration of track layout north of Malahide Station to provide train turnback facility.

Potentially directly impacted landowners and occupiers within the lands referenced in the Railway Order Application were contacted directly in advance of the lodgement of the order on 12^th July.  The Railway Order application website www.dartcoastalnorthrailwayorder.ie is live from today and features all of the Railway Order documents. Hard copies of the documents will be available to view at the locations listed below. 

The website also gives details of how to obtain hard and soft copies of all or some aspects of the Railway Order documentation. Members of the public, prescribed bodies and directly impacted landowners and occupiers are welcome to make submissions from 19^th July to 20^th September.

Subject to planning permission and funding arrangements, construction works on the route could commence later this decade, taking circa three years to complete.

Hard copies of the documents can be viewed at the following locations from today:

• An Bord Pleanála, 64 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1, D01 V902;
• Planning Department, Dublin City Council, Civic Office, Wood Quay, Dublin 8, D08 RF3F;
• Planning Department, Fingal County Council, County Hall, Main Street, Swords, County Dublin, K67 X8Y2
• Fingal County Council, Grove Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, D15 W638
• Planning Department, Meath County Council, Buvinda House, Dublin Road, Navan, County Meath, C15 Y291
• Planning Department, Louth County Council, County Hall, Millennium Centre, Dundalk, County Louth, A91 KFW6
• Donaghmede Library, Donaghmede Shopping Centre, Grange Road, Dublin 13, D13 XW28
• Rush Library, Chapel Green, Rush, County Dublin, K56 ED95
• Balbriggan Library, Saint George's Square, Balbriggan, County Dublin, K32 TW27
• Drogheda Library, Stockwell Lane, Drogheda, Co. Louth, A92 PY20
• Iarnród Eireann, Connolly Station, Amiens Street, Dublin 1, D01 V6V6; and
• DART+ Coastal North Project Office, CIÉ Inchicore Works, Inchicore Parade, Dublin 8, D08 K6Y3.