DART extension coming to North Kildare
The proposed new depot
Iarnród Éireann has confirmed the extension of DART services to Kildare at Kilcock Station, and launched a public consultation on an updated location for the new DART Depot there.
With the new proposed location of the DART+ Depot west of Kilcock, electrification and DART services will now be extended to serve the growing population of north Kildare as part of the delivery of the DART+ Programme.
Currently served by nine trains each way daily, and hourly at peak, the extension aims to support DARTs up to every 10 minutes each way during peak time for Kilcock.
In addition, Intercity services will continue to stop at Kilcock Station.
This will mean an upgraded Kilcock Station, including a second track between Maynooth and Kilcock, as well as a new platform and a fully accessible pedestrian access bridge with lifts.
This will see a fully electrified rail network to Kilcock and beyond to the Depot for more sustainable transport.
The new Depot will service and house a fleet of up to 750 new DART carriages, the first of which are currently undergoing testing and safety approvals before entering service in 2027.
When fully operational the Depot will provide more than 100 new positions for skilled maintenance staff.
A Depot was previously planned at a site on the DART West project near Maynooth but was not included in the Railway Order approval from An Coimisiún Pleanála.
Extensive site identification work undertaken over the past 18 months saw 50 potential sites adjacent to the railway line across the Greater Dublin Area examined, before the site west of Kilcock was confirmed as the preferred Depot location.
Subject to receipt of a Railway Order and funding approvals, the DART Depot is targeted for completion in 2031.
“I welcome the public consultation on the new DART+ Depot, and the proposal to extend DART services to Kilcock,” said Minister of State Sean Canney with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports.
“This proposal has the added benefit of supporting us in realising the vision set out in the All-Island Strategic Rail Review and represents a first step in our longer-term vision to double track the rail line from Dublin and Mullingar.”
Public Consultation on the DART Depot is open now until Friday 27 April. Full details on the project as well as how to provide feedback can be found on www.dartplus.ie.
Public participation during the design process is a key element to the delivery of major infrastructure projects such as DART+ Depot.
This project is now seeking feedback on the ‘Preferred Option’ for the Depot development and the extension of the DART to Kilcock. Local knowledge and comments will inform the preferred design.
Once this public consultation process is completed, all feedback and submissions received will be reviewed and assessed as part of the next stage of the design development.
Following a full appraisal of the feedback, a public consultation feedback report will be prepared to document this process.
All information gathered by the project team will be used to inform the design development of the project, environmental assessments, and ultimately the draft Railway Order application which will be submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála later in 2026.
